Lovus Austin Brewer, a 28-year-old resident of Huntington, was sentenced on Apr. 13 to six years and eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case underscores the ongoing enforcement of federal laws prohibiting convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition. Authorities say these measures are intended to reduce violent crime and protect local communities.
According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, law enforcement responded to reports of shots fired at an apartment building in Huntington on May 4, 2025. Officers encountered Brewer at the scene and ordered him to raise his hands. Upon compliance, officers observed a black pistol with an extended magazine on his hip. They recovered a 9mm pistol from Brewer as well as spent shell casings and one live round near the building. Security footage showed Brewer firing toward the front of the apartment complex; several residents reported bullets striking windows and walls.
Federal authorities said that Brewer was aware he could not possess firearms due to prior felony convictions: one for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in Wayne County Circuit Court in August 2017, and another for fleeing with reckless indifference in Cabell County Circuit Court in September 2022.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the sentence and commended both the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their work on this case. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence while Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted it.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative aimed at using Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration, criminal organizations, and violent crime.
