Federal Jury Finds Lincoln County Man Guilty of Gun Crime

Press Release

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Michael Allen Kenney, 53, of Hamlin, of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence at trial proved that on May 17, 2023, Putnam County Sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call at a video poker parlor in Poca and encountered Kenney. An officer saw Kenney reach into his waistband and retrieve a Ruger Model EC9s 9mm pistol. Officers seized the firearm and arrested Kenney.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Kenney knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions, including convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle in Kanawha County Circuit Court on October 27, 2017, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm in Mason County Circuit Court on August 5, 2014, and fleeing with reckless indifference in Putnam County Circuit Court on February 11, 2014.

Kenney is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

"Today's verdict holds a dangerous criminal accountable for his unlawful conduct," said United States Attorney Will Thompson. "I commend the Putnam County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their investigative work, and Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Stephanie Taylor and our trial team for securing the guilty verdict in this case."

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the jury trial.

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. 3:24-cr-40.

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Updated November 6, 2024