Brandon Lee Woodrum, a 30-year-old resident of Charleston, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The plea was entered on January 15, 2026.
Court documents and statements made during the hearing indicate that Woodrum admitted to possessing a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm pistol on March 19, 2024. He also acknowledged knowing that the firearm had been reported stolen before law enforcement recovered it.
Federal law bars individuals with felony convictions from owning firearms or ammunition. Woodrum has two prior felony convictions for wanton endangerment with a firearm from March 16, 2015, and January 24, 2019, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court. He confirmed he was aware of his prohibited status at the time he possessed the pistol.
Woodrum is scheduled for sentencing on April 30, 2026. He faces up to 15 years in prison, as well as up to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the plea and recognized the efforts of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in investigating the case.
The hearing was overseen by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. McLaughlin is handling prosecution duties.
“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.”
Further details about this case are available through public records searches for Case No. 2:25-cr-171 on PACER.
