Four men have been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Tomez Faulkner, 39, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received a 60-month sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm. Authorities stopped Faulkner on Interstate 70 in Ohio County due to erratic driving and found a stolen 9mm pistol in plain view inside his vehicle. The firearm had been reported stolen from Corapolis, Pennsylvania. Faulkner was prohibited from possessing firearms because of an aggravated assault conviction in Pennsylvania.
Steven Wayne Springer, 57, of Proctor, West Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. An off-duty officer saw Springer with a firearm and alerted the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) due to Springer’s history with wildlife hunting violations. A DNR officer confirmed that Springer was not allowed to possess firearms because of a prior felony drug conviction. During a visit, Springer admitted he had multiple firearms. Law enforcement later executed a search warrant at his home and seized two rifles, a shotgun, and various rounds of ammunition.
Peter Alexander Ruskin, 52, of Wheeling, West Virginia, received an 18-month sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department responded to a domestic violence call at Ruskin’s residence where officers found him hiding in the basement and discovered a firearm hidden under the couch along with multiple rounds of ammunition during subsequent searches. Ruskin is barred from owning firearms due to previous domestic battery convictions.
Steven Wayne Tubby, 45, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 21 months after being convicted for unlawful possession following an incident where he threatened someone with a firearm at his home. Officers searching Tubby’s residence found both the weapon and ammunition; Tubby is prohibited from possessing firearms due to two prior felonies involving assault with a dangerous weapon and wanton endangerment involving a firearm.
The investigations were conducted by several agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources; the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office; the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office; and the Moundsville Police Department.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided over these cases.
