CLARKSBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Morgantown man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for conspiring to illegally obtain firearms, federal officials announced Wednesday.
Todd Matthew Houston, 36, was sentenced to 51 months behind bars for his role in a straw purchasing scheme.
According to court records, the case began when officers responded to a domestic violence call involving Houston and a firearm.
During the investigation, officers discovered Houston had attempted to pawn more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition. A search of the vehicle he was driving turned up a pistol.
Authorities later determined the firearm had been purchased by another individual in exchange for heroin and then given to Houston, who is prohibited from owning firearms due to multiple prior felony convictions.
His criminal history includes domestic battery, drug trafficking, robbery, and grand larceny.
Following his prison term, Houston will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rhee. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh handed down the sentence.
