Midland Man Arrested on Firearms Charges

Midland resident and land surveyor, Steven Leonard Prewit, was arrested Thursday, May 2, 2013, on a sealed criminal complaint charging Prewit with possession of unregistered firearms, announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Office Special Agent in Charge Robert Champion and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Mark Morgan.

Today, Prewit appeared before United States Magistrate Judge David Counts, in Midland, Texas, for his initial appearance, at which time, the complaint against Prewit was unsealed. The complaint alleges that Prewit was in possession of fully automatic firearms, improvised explosive devices, and silencers that did not have the serial numbers or manufacturing markings required by law. Federal law requires that firearms, silencers, and destructive devices be identified by a serial number. Federal law also requires that these items be registered with the ATF National Firearms Branch, which records the identity of the registered owner in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The complaint alleges that the fully automatic firearms, unmarked silencers, and improvised explosive devices were not registered to Prewit in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law. Prewit faces a sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment on this charge.

He is scheduled to appear before the Honorable Judge Counts on Wednesday, May 8, 2013, for a preliminary and detention hearing. Prewit is being held without bond pending that hearing.

Assistant United States Attorneys LaTawn Warsaw and John Klassen are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.

A criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.