Cops and Courts, Latest News

Two Morgantown men plead to federal firearms charges

MORGANTOWN — DeRon Parrish and Andre Parrish, both of Morgantown, have admitted to firearms charges, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia Bill Powell announced.

DeRon Parrish, 31, pled guilty to one count of “unlawful possession of firearm as convicted felon.” DeRon, a convicted felon, admitted to having three shotguns in November 2018 in Monongalia County, the announcement said.

Andre, 28, pled guilty to one count of “unlawful possession of a firearm as drug user.” Andre, who is prohibited from having a firearm, admitted to having three 12-guage shotguns and a pistol in Monongalia County in November 2018.

Both face up to 10 years’ incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Morgantown Police Department investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.