SHADY SPRING – A Shady Spring man has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison after officers discovered three stolen firearms in his possession during an arrest late last year.
Quenin Owen Brown, 34, was sentenced to 11 years and 4 months, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers encountered Brown on December 28, 2024, at a gas station in Nitro while executing an arrest warrant related to a parole violation. Officers found Brown carrying a loaded HS Produkt (Springfield) Hellcat 9mm pistol in a belly holster. A search of his vehicle uncovered two more loaded pistols: a Glock 43 and a Taurus G3. All three firearms had previously been reported stolen.
Federal law prohibits individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Brown acknowledged he knew he was barred from having firearms due to prior felony convictions in Kanawha County, including unlawful wounding in 2012 and fleeing with reckless indifference and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in 2018.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the sentence and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Nitro Police Department.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney JC MacCallum.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at combating violent crime, dismantling transnational criminal organizations, and strengthening community safety.