Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A St. Paul, Virginia man, who illegally possessed more than a dozen firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition, was sentenced yesterday to 71 months in federal prison, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced.

Patrick Steven Hyde, 40, previously pleaded guilty to one count of being a convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm. Crystal Dione Hyde, 35, Patrick’s wife, who previously pleaded guilty to one count of lying to a federal agent in order to keep her husband out of trouble, will be sentenced on a date to be scheduled in March 2019.

“Although the Second Amendment strongly protects an individual’s right to bear arms, it does not allow convicted felons, and other prohibited persons, to possess firearms,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today.  “We will aggressively investigate and prosecute convicted felons who possess firearms and those who enable them to do so.”

According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, on December 17, 2015, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA], the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives [ATF], Virginia State Police, Russell County Sheriff’s Office, and Wise County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of the mobile home and outbuilding in St. Paul, Virginia where Steven and Crystal Hyde resided.  During that search, investigators recovered 14 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, two bulletproof vests, and marijuana.  The firearms recovered included five semi-automatic rifles and two semi-automatic pistols, all of which were capable of receiving large capacity magazines.  The investigation also revealed that Steven Hyde utilized internet websites to engage in the purchase and sale of firearms, both in and out of state.  Steven Hyde is a previously convicted felon who is barred from possessing a firearm.  Hyde also faced charges in Wise County Circuit Court for possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana.

When interviewed by agents with the ATF, Crystal Hyde told investigators she purchased and possessed all of the weapons and ammunition recovered during the search.  However, subsequent investigation revealed that the firearms and ammunition did in fact belong to Steven Hyde and that Crystal Hyde had helped her husband, whom she knew to be prohibited from possessing firearms, acquire the weapons.  The investigation further revealed that Crystal Hyde lied to investigators about the firearms in an attempt to keep him out of further legal trouble.  

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Virginia State Police, Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Paul Police Department.  Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case for the United States in federal court.