W.Va. Treasurer’s Office hosts firearms auction to benefit law enforcement

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The West Virginia State Treasurer’s office hosted an unclaimed property firearms auction, raising money for nearly two dozen law enforcement agencies Thursday.

Under West Virginia’s Unclaimed Property Code, state and local law enforcement agencies are allowed to turn over any unclaimed, seized or outdated firearms in their possession to the State Treasurer’s Office for auction.

The money earned during sale can then be returned to the submitting agency for use.

Thursday, a record high 19 agencies turned over property for the auction.

Lewis County Sheriff Dave Gosa says this is a game changer for his sheriffs office.

“We started cleaning the evidence room and we started to sell the guns we had collected over the years, and it was between 80 and 100 guns. It’s a good way for us, instead of having to destroy them, to make some money off of them,” Gosa said.

In March, the State Treasurer’s Office held an auction that raised a record total of more than $141,000.

The State Treasurer’s Office says this is a tool to help fund police departments without asking for additional taxpayer dollars.

“We’re gonna auction these off. The proceeds are going to go back to those police departments, and then they can use those dollars to go and buy the equipment they need to protect their communities,” State Treasurer Riley Moore said.

Thursday’s auction featured more than 300 guns and about 700 pounds of ammunition.

This auction was not open to the public, and the guns were sold to firearm dealers.

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