BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Beckley man pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal gun charge after authorities say he was found carrying a handgun while intoxicated earlier this year.
Stephen Burks, 49, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Court documents state that law enforcement officers responded to reports of a disturbance on North Kanawha Street in Beckley on May 11, 2026, where they encountered Burks.
As part of his guilty plea, Burks admitted he was intoxicated at the time and was carrying a Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm pistol that officers found during a search.
Federal law prohibits people with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition.
According to prosecutors, Burks previously was convicted in Raleigh County Circuit Court in 2009 of attempted first-degree murder, malicious wounding, wanton endangerment and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Burks admitted he knew those convictions prohibited him from possessing a gun.
Burks is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 22, 2027. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Beckley Police Department investigated the case.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the plea hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
