Convicted double-murderer pleads guilty to federal gun crime (DOJ)

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. - Casey Rygh, 47, of Rochester, Minnesota, pleaded guilty on Monday, July 27, 2026, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 25, 2025, law enforcement officers were searching for Rygh to serve felony arrest warrants when they located and captured him in the Matoaka area of Mercer County, West Virginia. Officers found he possessed a loaded SCCY Model CPX-2 9mm pistol.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Rygh knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for two counts of felony murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery in Logan County, West Virginia, Circuit Court on December 15, 1997.

Rygh is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Rygh was captured during Operation Rolling Waters, a 2025 warrant and fugitive sweep led by the U.S. Marshals Services Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division (CUFFED) Task Force of Southern West Virginia.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting 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. 1:26-cr-40.

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