Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Lannie Earl Shaffer, 33, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 31, 2023, Shaffer possessed a Taurus model 605 .357-caliber revolver in Sissonville.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Shaffer admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for transferring and receiving stolen property in Kanawha County Circuit Court on February 5, 2015.

Shaffer is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-181.

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