Jason Allen Rhule, a 44-year-old resident of Charleston, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to the federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. This plea follows an incident on July 24, 2024, when parole officers discovered firearms at his residence during a routine search. The search uncovered a Taurus model PT-140 Millenium G2 .40-caliber pistol and a Palmetto State Armory model PA-15 multi-caliber rifle in Rhule's bedroom.
Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Rhule was aware of this restriction due to his previous felony convictions for attempted manufacture of a controlled substance in Putnam County Circuit Court on October 3, 2022, and attempted grand larceny in Kanawha County Circuit Court on July 31, 2023.
Rhule is set to be sentenced on June 18, 2025. He faces up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the plea and praised the efforts of West Virginia Parole Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their investigative work.
The hearing was overseen by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is handling the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy under PSN on May 26, 2021.
Further details can be accessed via the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia's website or through PACER by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-157.