Anthony was born in Mercer County and spent his early childhood in Bluefield before his family relocated to Raleigh County. He was raised in Shady Spring, where he attended local schools and developed the keen sense of community that continues to guide his life and career. 

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In 2005, he enrolled at Concord University to study pre-medicine biology with the goal of becoming a heart surgeon. Between his junior and senior years, he was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury and left him confined to a wheelchair. Determined to move forward, he spent a year in Baltimore undergoing intensive physical therapy at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. 

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After completing rehabilitation, he returned to Concord University committed to continuing his education and building a meaningful career. Recognizing the physical demands of surgery, he redirected his professional path and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science after three additional semesters. He then pursued his Juris Doctor at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law in Knoxville, where he was a member of the Student Bar Association. He graduated in 2015 and returned to Raleigh County to open Heltzel Law Office PLLC in Beckley. 

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In March 2017, he began serving as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Mercer County. Over the past nine years, he has served either as an Assistant Prosecutor for Mercer County or as a City Attorney for the City of Bluefield. Apart from last year, his career has been devoted to criminal law. He has prosecuted more than 10,000 cases, overseeing approximately 4,000 new misdemeanor cases and 1,000 new felony cases each year. For six years, he handled nearly every criminal case that occurred in Mercer County. As City Attorney for Bluefield, he expanded his experience into civil litigation, property law, employment law, contracts, and municipal and local government law, while continuing to prosecute criminal matters on behalf of the city.