Anderson gets five years for firearm possession, meth

A felon with a prior felony homicide conviction recently received a total of five years in prison for possessing a handgun and methamphetamine during separate 2021 incidents.

James Allen Anderson, 47, who was originally indicted for possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, pled guilty on June 6, to an amended charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As part of his plea agreement a second-degree persistent felony offender charge was dismissed, according to court documents.

Also, on June 6, Anderson pled guilty to first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). A possession of drug paraphernalia charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement, court documents stated.

On July 5, Whitley Circuit Judge Dan Ballou sentenced Anderson to a four-year prison sentence on the firearm charge and a one-year prison sentence on the methamphetamine possession charge. Ballou ordered the two sentences to be served consecutively, or one after the other, for a total sentence of five years in prison.

On Aug. 30, Anderson possessed a Taurus 9mm pistol after having previously been convicted of a felony in 2010, according to one of his indictments.

“The investigation reflected that Anderson had previously been charged with murder in 2008 and later pled guilty to an amended charge of manslaughter in 2010. In 2022, Anderson illegally possessed methamphetamine and stole a handgun, which was eventually recovered and returned to its rightful owner. Williamsburg Police Department stays committed to protecting our community and keeping illegally possessed weapons out of the hands of violent offenders,” the Williamsburg Police Department wrote in a release.

Anderson received a 15-year prison sentence in that case for his role in the June 20, 2008 death of Larry Dean Jones. Jones, 34, was found dead laying in a ditch beside Cane Gap Road, according to News Journal archives.

The 2021 drug possession and firearm investigations were conducted by Williamsburg Police Officers Chad Foley and Dorman Patrick Jr. Lt. Brandon White and Officer Daniel Lovitt also assisted. The case was successfully prosecuted by Whitley County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronnie Bowling.