CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Gregory D’Arquaes Zander, aged 35, from Charleston, has pleaded guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 11, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop. They found a rifle case in a blue truck containing six firearms while Zander was a passenger in the vehicle.
The firearms included a Smith & Wesson model M&P 10mm M2.0 10mm pistol, a Springfield Armory model DS Prodigy 9mm pistol, a Smith & Wesson model M&P 9 9mm pistol, a Kimber model Rose Gold Ultra II .45-caliber ACP pistol, a Glock model 17 Gen 4 9mm pistol, and a CMMG model MK4, 5.78x28mm pistol.
Gregory D’Arquaes Zander’s state identification card and birth certificate, as well as receipts for the purchase of two of the firearms, were also found in the truck. The driver of the blue truck admitted to purchasing several firearms for Zander at his direction and with money provided by Zander, and transporting the firearms to one of Zander’s Charleston apartments after each purchase.
Gregory D’Arquaes Zander accompanied the driver during the purchase of the four other seized firearms and wore one of the firearms on his ankle during a purchase.
Due to a prior felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, methamphetamine, Zander was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Zander is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing, with Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuting the case.
