Myles Robert Williams, a 37-year-old resident of Beckley, West Virginia, received an eight-year and four-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. This decision was handed down by Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk.
The case against Williams began on March 26, 2024, when law enforcement officers stopped his vehicle in Beckley following a controlled drug purchase from him. During the search of the vehicle, officers discovered a Ruger model EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun, 41 grams of fentanyl, and $1,179 in cash. Williams admitted to possessing the firearm for protection and intended to distribute the fentanyl found in his vehicle. Additionally, he confessed to selling 1.3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant shortly before his arrest.
On April 17, 2024, police responded to a reported shooting at a residence in Beckley where they encountered Williams outside with a Springfield model Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic pistol nearby. An individual with a gunshot wound was also found at the scene. Williams admitted firing the weapon inside the residence.
Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Williams acknowledged he was aware of this restriction due to his previous conviction for common law robbery in Lincoln County, North Carolina on September 10, 2013. His criminal record also includes convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon and trafficking opium or heroin.
United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the sentencing and praised the investigative efforts of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit comprising officers from multiple local agencies.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities.
For more information about this case or related documents, interested parties can refer to Case No. 5:24-cr-79 on PACER or visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.