BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — A 37-year-old Beckley man was sentenced to prison for a federal gun crime.

37-year-old Thomas D. Manns, of Beckley, was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised released, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court statements and documents, law enforcement officers responded to a report of shots fired at Ewart Avenue apartment complex in Beckley on May 26, 2020. The officers ran into Manns as he ran into a stairway, where held what the officers believed to be a gun.

Upon searching the stairway, officers found a shotgun in a trashcan. The camera footage from the apartment complex showed Manns holding the shotgun before putting it in the trash can. Manns admitted to having the gun.

Federal law prevents someone with a previous felony conviction from possessing a gun or ammunition. Manns knew that he could not have a gun due to a prior felony conviction on November 29, 2006 for delivery of a controlled substance in Raleigh County Circuit Court.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson who praised the Beckley Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their work on the investigation.