Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Dylan James Pettyjohn, 21, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for selling a firearm to a convicted felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 23, 2025, Pettyjohn sold a Calwest model J-22 .22-calier pistol to a confidential informant for $150. As part of his guilty plea, Pettyjohn admitted that he conducted the transaction after arranging it beforehand, that the confidential informant told him he was a convicted felon during the transaction, and that the transaction occurred at the Huntington residence of Erin Leigh Keeney.

Pettyjohn further admitted that he sold a Glock model 34 9mm pistol for $600 on May 13, 2025, and a Just Right Carbines model JR Carbine 9mm rifle for $650 on May 22, 2025, to the same confidential informant in Huntington.

Pettyjohn and Keeney are among seven individuals indicted following a federal investigation of drug trafficking in the Huntington area. All seven defendants pleaded guilty. Keeney, 42, of Huntington, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28, 2026, after pleading guilty to distribution of carfentanil.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-158.

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