Summers County, West Virginia – Matthew Harris England, 38, of Meadow Bridge, was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and having an unregistered short-barrel shotgun.
According to court documents and statements, on April 3, 2023, law enforcement responded to reports of a domestic disturbance at England’s Meadow Bridge home. When law enforcement arrived at the house, they discovered and seized a Savage model Stevens 94F, 20-gauge shotgun with a modified and shortened barrel and a modified and shortened stock on a chair in the living room. England was arrested, and he told officers that he knew the firearm was in the house and that the barrel length appeared to be illegal.
The short-barreled shotgun was not registered in England in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal law. A person who has previously committed a felony is also prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. England was aware that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his prior felony convictions for aiding and abetting the possession of stolen firearms in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on May 9, 2014.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson, who praised the work of the Summers County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Lesley C. Shamblin, an assistant United States Attorney, prosecuted the case.
