CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced today to one year and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about January 26, 2021, Shawn Mackenzie Tant, 43, was sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked in front of a retail establishment on the south side of Parkersburg. While in the vehicle, Tant had contact with officers from the Parkersburg Police Department. A Harrington and Richardson .38-caliber revolver was located by the officers on the dashboard of Tant’s vehicle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Tant admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of three prior felony convictions in Wood County Circuit Court for delivery of a controlled substance. Tant has a long criminal history that includes three domestic battery convictions as well as convictions for domestic assault, battery, and battery of a police officer.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Parkersburg Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-232.
###