Victor Lynn Jarrett, 74, of Charleston, was sentenced on May 14 to five years of federal probation for dealing firearms without a license.
The sentencing highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address illegal gun sales in the region. According to court documents and statements made in court, Jarrett purchased at least 79 firearms from licensed retailers between May 2019 and March 2023 and sold at least 72 of those firearms for profit without the required license. He admitted that he did not buy the guns for his personal collection and conducted sales from his residence or various locations around Charleston.
Investigators found that Jarrett sold firearms at places including a gas station on the East End, a flea market near Capital High School, and from his truck parked along roads in Kanawha City. Several guns he purchased were later recovered by law enforcement at local crime scenes.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the sentence and said he commended “the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).” United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which is described as “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.”
