BECKLEY, W.Va. – Stephen Burks, 49, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 11, 2026, law enforcement officers responded to reports of a disturbance on North Kanawha Street in Beckley and encountered Burks. As part of his guilty plea, Burks admitted that he was intoxicated when officers encountered him and that he possessed a Smith & Wesson model Shield 9mm pistol that the officers found on his person during a search.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Burks knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for attempted first-degree murder, malicious wounding, wanton endangerment, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Raleigh County Circuit Court on December 7, 2009.
Burks is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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. 5:26-cr-110.
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of West Virginia — U.S. Department of Justice press release.