Harrison County man sentenced to prison for illegally possessing firearm

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A Harrison County man has been sentenced to prison time for unlawfully possessing a firearm.

Zachary Burton Taylor, 22, of Stonewood received 18 months in prison Monday from U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley.

Taylor was convicted in December 2012 of the misdemeanor offense of Domestic Battery in the Magistrate Court of Harrison County. As a result of the conviction, Taylor is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

During a subsequent May 2014 arrest, Taylor was discovered in possession of a stolen .22 caliber pistol.

Taylor pleaded guilty in November 2014 to one count of being a Prohibited Person in Possession of Firearm – Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence, following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.