Myrtle Beach Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

FLORENCE, S.C. - Joshua Levon West, 39, of Myrtle Beach was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on March 9, 2023, following a traffic stop, officers with the Myrtle Beach Police Department discovered West in possession of a loaded, stolen firearm. West is prohibited from possessing a firearm based on his prior convictions for armed robbery, strong arm robbery, attempted strong arm robbery, and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime.

United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced West to 30 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case.

###