Jeremiah Clinton Gray, a 42-year-old resident of Blue Ridge, Georgia, has entered a guilty plea to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The incident leading to this plea occurred on July 22, 2024, when law enforcement responded to reports about an armed man inside a business in Jackson County, Ohio. The suspect was identified as Gray.
According to court documents and statements made during the proceedings, Gray left the scene in a vehicle lacking license plates and evaded an attempted traffic stop by authorities. This pursuit continued into West Virginia where officers successfully stopped the vehicle using spike strips in Charleston. Upon his arrest, officers discovered that Gray had a loaded Taurus model 1911 Officer 9mm pistol on him and found a loaded Mossberg model 590 Shockwave .410-gauge shotgun inside the vehicle.
Federal regulations prohibit individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Gray acknowledged he was aware of this restriction due to his previous conviction for conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on October 20, 2023.
Gray's sentencing is scheduled for August 12, 2025. He faces up to 15 years in prison along with potential penalties including up to three years of supervised release and fines reaching $250,000.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the plea agreement and praised the investigative efforts conducted by several agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), West Virginia State Police, and Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
The hearing was overseen by Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber with Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuting.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which unites various levels of law enforcement with communities aiming to curb violent crime and gun violence while enhancing neighborhood safety. Since May 26, 2021, PSN has been reinforced through strategies focusing on community trust-building measures and prioritizing strategic enforcement actions.
For further details regarding this case or related court documents reference Case No. 2:25-cr-35 available via PACER or visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for Southern District of West Virginia.