CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Philippi, West Virginia, man with a prior domestic violence conviction is facing federal firearms charges.
Ethan D. Delauder, 31, was indicted Tuesday for unlawful possession of a firearm and for possessing an unregistered firearm. According to court documents, West Virginia State Police conducted a traffic stop of Delauder during which a shotgun with an illegal shortened barrel was visible on the passenger seat. Delauder is prohibited from having firearms because of domestic violence conviction from Barbour County Magistrate Court in 2017.
If convicted, Delauder faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
