Southern District of West Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Danielle D. Jones, 35, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 16, 2023, Jones sold quantities of crack and what she thought was heroin for $800 to a confidential informant at her Huntington residence. Jones admitted to the transaction, and to arranging it with the informant beforehand. Jones further admitted to selling a quantity of what she thought was heroin to the confidential informant on three other occasions between August 22, 2023, and December 27, 2023, at her residence. Jones also sold the confidential informant a quantity of crack during the December 27, 2023, transaction.
A forensic analysis later confirmed that the suspected heroin sold in all four transactions was fentanyl totaling approximately 27 grams.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-2.
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Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jashawn William Lawson, also known as “Nitty,” 23, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Lawson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Lawson and searched his Highlawn Avenue residence in Huntington. Lawson admitted that he and other individuals used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Tec PMR-30 .22-caliber pistol and various rounds of ammunition. Lawson admitted that he and other individuals possessed the firearms and intended to sell the controlled substances seized during the search.
Lawson further admitted that he participated in the DTO with others from at least April 2023 through November 2023. Lawson’s participation included selling a total of approximately 808.6 grams of methamphetamine on three occasions between April 13, 2023 and July 13, 2023. Lawson also sold approximately 2.9 grams of fentanyl during the July 13, 2023 transaction.
On August 28, 2023, Lawson was a passenger in a vehicle driven by co-defendant Christopher Anthony O'Dell when a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in St. Albans. During the traffic stop, the officer located and seized approximately 51 grams of fentanyl in the vehicle and $4,910 on Lawson’s person. Lawson admitted that he received the seized money from selling methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Lawson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
O'Dell, 39, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2024 to distribution of quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and awaits sentencing.
Lawson and O'Dell are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Lawson and O'Dell are also among 20 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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Two More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Charles Clinton Cordle, 65, of Ashland, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and Josie Irene Copley, 58, of Flatwoods, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl. Both admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 23, 2023, Cordle received approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine and 9 grams of fentanyl in the area of the 2700 block of Highlawn Avenue in Huntington after arranging to receive the controlled substances during a phone call with another person. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Cordle following the transaction, and the officer located and seized the methamphetamine and fentanyl during the traffic stop. Cordle admitted that he intended to distribute the controlled substances.
On October 25, 2023, Copley purchased approximately 13.98 grams of fentanyl in Huntington from co-defendant Kyla Smith after calling Smith and arranging the transaction. After Copley purchased the fentanyl, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Copley was a passenger. Copley told the officer she had drugs in her possession and surrendered the fentanyl she had obtained from Smith. Copley admitted that the officer also seized approximately 2.11 grams of methamphetamine during the traffic stop that she possessed and intended to sell.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Copley’s residence in Flatwoods, Kentucky. Officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and a New England Firearms .410-gauge shotgun.
Cordle and Copley are scheduled to be sentenced on August 19, 2024. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Smith, also known as “Flaca,” 29, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on April 3, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing.
Cordle, Copley and Smith are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Cordle, Copley and Smith are also among 19 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case..
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Eric Malik Smith, also known as “Star,” 24, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting false statements related to the purchase of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 1, 2022, Smith traveled with another person to a Barboursville, West Virginia, business where Smith instructed the person to purchase a Glock 27 .40-caliber pistol on Smith’s behalf. Smith admitted that the person falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that he was the purchaser of the firearm when he knew Smith was the actual buyer of the firearm. Smith further admitted that he took possession of the firearm following the purchase and eventually took it back with him to Maryland.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19. 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Owen Reynolds is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-156.
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Fayette County Labor Union Official Sentenced for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jason Todd Weaver, 50, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to 5 years federal probation and ordered to pay $2,896.78 in restitution for embezzlement of funds by an officer of a labor organization.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 29, 2021, Weaver used his position as secretary/treasurer of the American Postal Workers Union, Local 1509 to write out a check for $352.62 to himself. The check was written from Local 1509’s Beckley bank account. Weaver signed his name as an authorized account signatory and forged the name of another union officer who was also an authorized account signatory.
Weaver admitted that he knew he was not entitled to the money, and that he deposited the check into his personal bank account. Weaver further admitted that he used his position with Local 1509 to embezzle a total of $12,396.78 union funds, including issuing 17 union checks to himself and misusing the union’s credit card 59 times, from at least April 25, 2016, through November 13, 2021. Weaver repaid $9,500 of that total before pleading guilty to the embezzlement offense.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-130.
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Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Georgia Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Perry Johnson Jr., 30, of Dunwoody, Georgia, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson participated in the DTO by directing large quantities of methamphetamine into the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution to local dealers and customers. On or about November 28, 2022, Johnson conducted phone calls with co-conspirator Alexandria Jasmine Estep during which he arranged to sell multiple pounds of methamphetamine to her. Johnson arranged for the methamphetamine to be delivered by third parties, including co-defendant Dashounieque Lashay Wright, in a vehicle to Estep’s Charleston residence the following day. After Estep received the methamphetamine from Wright, officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle that had delivered the methamphetamine. Upon conducting a search of that vehicle, officers discovered and seized approximately six pounds of methamphetamine.
Johnson has a criminal history that includes seven prior convictions for controlled substances offenses in Virginia and Kentucky.
Estep, 22, of Charleston, was sentenced on February 22, 2023, to four years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Wright, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on January 8, 2024, to use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking and awaits sentencing.
Johnson, Estep and Wright are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Johnson, Estep and Wright are also among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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New York Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Elliot J. Santiago, 25, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty on Monday, April 1, 2024 to failure to provide information related to interstate travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Santiago was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction for first-degree sexual abuse in Monongalia County Circuit Court on August 28, 2019. From on or about May 30, 2023 to on or about October 25, 2023, Santiago failed to provide notification that he had traveled from Charleston, West Virginia, to Toledo, Ohio and then to Brooklyn, New York.
Santiago is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-174.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Reginald Clay Jackson, 43, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 3, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Jackson after conducting a traffic stop of a scooter he was operating in St. Albans. The scooter was reported stolen and Jackson could not produce a valid license, insurance, or registration. Jackson was taken to the South Charleston Detachment of the West Virginia State Police and processed. The following day, officers found a plastic bag under a bench in the booking area. The bag contained seven individually wrapped baggies that each contained approximately 1 ounce of fentanyl. Security video footage showed Jackson removing the bag from his clothing and throwing it under the bench during his processing.
Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of West Virginia State Police and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-33.
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Federal Jury Convicts Putnam County Man for FHA Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Jason Trador, 46, of Scott Depot, on April 10, 2024, of making a false statement to federal agents, willfully overvaluing property on a loan application, and three counts of making a false statement to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Evidence at trial proved that Trador fraudulently obtained a $223,870 home mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) from his then-employer, Victorian Finance LLC, a mortgage lending business. At the time he applied for the FHA loan in August 2018, Trador was delinquent on paying his federal taxes for a prior tax year. Because of the tax debt, Trador was not eligible for an FHA loan under existing FHA program rules. Trador deceived Victorian Finance into approving the application and the FHA into insuring the mortgage by providing a series of falsified documents including a falsified Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax transcript purporting to show a payoff of the delinquent $8,151 tax debt.
Trador also submitted three heavily edited bank statements to Victorian Finance. Each falsified bank statement substantially inflated the balances in Trador’s bank accounts. Two of the falsified statements reported balances of approximately $27,000 and $15,000 for Trador’s personal bank account when in fact the account had negative balances. Line items, such as for insufficient funds fees, were removed from the falsified bank statements and a line item was added to deceive Victorian Finance into believing that he had paid off the delinquent $8,151 tax debt. Evidence at trial proved the purported payoff never occurred and that Trador was still delinquent on the federal tax debt as of March 2024.
On September 4, 2018, Trador willfully overvalued his assets on a loan application when he signed a Uniform Residential Loan Application that included the false balances from the falsified bank statements.
On May 6, 2022, Trador lied to investigators with HUD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) when they interviewed Trador at his Scott Depot residence about his application for the FHA-insured mortgage. Trador denied submitting false bank statements with his loan application, and blamed his fellow employees of the mortgage lending business for the inclusion of the false bank statements in the FHA loan file.
Trador is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 41 years in prison.
“Loan officers are supposed to be gatekeepers who protect the integrity of the FHA program. Mr. Trador abused his position of trust as a loan officer and used his knowledge of FHA requirements to obtain a mortgage he knew he did not qualify for, and then lied in an attempt to conceal his scheme,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend HUD OIG and the FBI for their investigative work in this case, and Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman, Jonathan T. Storage and Erik S. Goes and our trial team for prosecuting the case and securing guilty verdicts on all five counts.”
“The integrity of the FHA loan program is essential to helping hard working citizens realize the American dream of homeownership,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. “This case demonstrates HUD OIG’s enduring commitment to working with U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and the FBI to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to jeopardize this program and the health and stability of the nation’s housing market. I’d like to sincerely thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the entire investigative team, led by U.S. Attorney Thompson, for its tireless efforts to bring this matter to a just conclusion.”
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the jury trial.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-117.
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Three More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Three more defendants pleaded guilty today to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Hakeem Rashad Mack, also known as “Paper,” 31, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Georgia Alice Jackson, 31, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Walter Alvin Cremeans, 56, of Culloden, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 28, 2023, Mack distributed approximately 283 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at Mack’s Eighth Avenue residence in Huntington. Mack admitted to arranging the transaction beforehand with the informant via a video call with the FaceTime mobile device app. Mack further admitted to distributing a total of approximately 306 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on May 10, 2023 and June 5, 2023.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Mack and executed a search warrant at his residence. Officers seized approximately 165 grams of methamphetamine, 108 grams of fentanyl and a Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver during the search. Mack admitted that he possessed the firearm and intended to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Officers also arrested Jackson and executed a search warrant at her Wiltshire Boulevard residence in Huntington on November 15, 2023. Officers seized approximately 380 grams of fentanyl, a Phoenix Arms HP22A .22-caliber pistol, a Sun City Stevens 320 12-gauge shotgun and various rounds of ammunition. Jackson admitted to possessing the seized fentanyl and intending to distribute it. Jackson further admitted to distributing a total of 1.35 kilograms of methamphetamine on four occasions between February 15, 2023, and August 24, 2023.
Jackson also admitted to participating in the DTO from at least February 2023 through November 2023, distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl on numerous occasions and using her residence to store and distribute drugs.
On October 28, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Cremeans on the 4200 block of Ohio River Road in Huntington. Cremeans admitted that he placed approximately 97 grams of methamphetamine in a cup that was thrown from his vehicle during the traffic stop. The officer located and seized the methamphetamine on the ground outside of Cremeans’ vehicle. Cremeans further admitted that investigators had observed him acquiring the seized methamphetamine just before the traffic stop, and that he had arranged to receive the methamphetamine during multiple phone calls that were intercepted by investigators.
Mack, Jackson and Cremeans are scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2024. Mack faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. Jackson faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. Cremeans faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Mack, Jackson and Cremeans are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Mack, Jackson and Cremeans are also among 17 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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McDowell County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Lansen Sharif Waugh, 44, of Kyle, pleaded guilty today to distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 15, 2021, Waugh sold controlled substances that contained cocaine and methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a residence in Kyle where Waugh was staying. Waugh admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling cocaine and a controlled substance containing heroin and fentanyl to the confidential informant on two other occasions.
On July 2, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Waugh’s residence in Kyle, and found two firearms and additional quantities of cocaine. Waugh admitted that he intended to distribute the cocaine found during the search.
Waugh is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-121.
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Kentucky Man and Businesses Sentenced for Roles in 2018 Big Sandy River Oil SpillRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, David K. Smith, 69, of Paducah, Kentucky, was sentenced to one year and six months of federal probation, including six months on home detention, and River Marine Enterprises LLC and Western River Assets LLC were each fined $100,000 and placed on corporate probation for five years for discharge of refuse into navigable waters. The defendants were also ordered to pay $1,856,957.92 in restitution, and the LLC defendants cannot conduct or operate any business while on probation. The defendants admitted to roles in the January 2018 discharge of oil into the Big Sandy River.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith was the sole owner and officer of both River Marine Enterprises and Western River Assets, and was responsible for the operation of both companies. Western River Assets owned a towboat, the Gate City, that docked along the West Virginia shore of the Big Sandy River from at least 2010 until January 2018. River Marine Enterprises operated the Gate City during this time.
On or about January 10, 2018, the Gate City sank while docked, discharging oil and other substances into the Big Sandy River. The oil left a sheen on the river and oily deposits beneath the surface. As a direct result of the Gate City’s sinking and oil spill, the City of Kenova, West Virginia, closed its municipal drinking water intake for three days and various regulatory agencies took actions and expended resources to respond to the spill.
Smith admitted that at the time of the January 2018 sinking and spill, he had yet to comply with an administrative order issued by the United States Coast Guard on December 5, 2017, requiring Smith to remove all oil and hazardous materials from the Gate City. The Coast Guard issued the administrative order following an inspection of the Gate City in or about November 2017. The administrative order said in part that the Gate City presented an “imminent and substantial threat to the public health or welfare of the environment because of a threatened discharge of oil from the vessel.”
Smith further admitted that River Marine Enterprises had contracted with a qualified business to remove oil from the Gate City, but that the contractor was not able to access the Gate City safely to remove the oil prior to January 10, 2018 because of site conditions.
“This crime could have easily been prevented. Instead, Mr. Smith left an unseaworthy vessel moored in the Big Sandy for eight years and took no action to remove the hazard it posed to the water quality of the river,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This criminal conduct caused real harm to communities downriver and worsened the pollution of an already strained river system. It also cost the Coast Guard over $1.8 million to remediate the damage caused by the sinking of the vessel and the resulting discharge of oil.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA CID). Thompson also commended the U.S. Coast Guard, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the West Virginia National Guard and other responders for their efforts to contain and clean up the oil spill.
“By failing to maintain the condition of his towboat, the defendant blatantly ignored the environmental impact his actions would cause,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Amon of EPA’s criminal investigation program in West Virginia. “This sentencing demonstrates that EPA will hold those who deliberately violate the Refuse Act accountable.”
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry McDaniel prosecuted the case.
On May 5, 2022, the Department launched the Office of Environmental Justice and announced a comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy. Enforcement of this strategy relies upon meaningful engagement and transparency with impacted communities regarding environmental justice issues, efforts, and results.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia enforces federal laws to protect environmental quality and human health in all communities within the district. In coordination with components of the Justice Department, the United States Attorney’s Office will hold polluters accountable for their actions, prioritizing cases that will reduce public health and environmental harms to overburdened and underserved communities. More information is available on the Environmental Justice and Enforcement page of the website for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
The United States Attorney’s Office encourages the public to report suspected environmental violations within the district. Reports may be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency or by email, mail, or phone to the United States Attorney’s Office.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-5.
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Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Lydia Spencer, 33, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty on Friday, April 5, 2023, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Spencer admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $31,250 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Spencer was the sole proprietor of Les Prints, a custom clothing business that had its principal office in Charleston. Spencer admitted to conspiring with at least three other individuals in April 2021 to obtain fraudulent PPP loans for her business. The PPP offered forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, as part of the emergency financial assistance provided by the CARES Act to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the co-conspirators recruited Spencer to participate in the scheme that spring, and Spencer provided her personal and bank account information to this individual. On April 8, 2021, another of the co-conspirators used Spencer’s information to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of Les Prints to two different lenders. Each lender approved a PPP loan for Les Prints. Spencer received a $15,625 transfer disbursed by one of the lenders on April 30, 2021, and a $15,625 transfer disbursed by the other lender on June 17, 2021. Both transfers were deposited in Spencer’s personal bank account with an Oklahoma-based bank.
Spencer admitted that the PPP loan applications contained materially false information. Businesses applying for PPP loans were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Spencer admitted that the loan applications falsely stated that Les Prints had received $75,000 in gross income in 2020, and included a fraudulent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business reporting that false gross income. Spencer further admitted that this false information qualified Les Prints for a loan amount it otherwise would have not been qualified to receive.
Between May 3, 2021, and June 21, 2021, Spencer used a mobile payment service app to transfer a total of $4,000 from the fraudulent loan proceeds to one of the co-conspirators. Spencer admitted that she attempted to obscure the nature of these transfers by labeling them as marketing expenses for her business. Spencer further admitted that she spent the remainder of the fraudulent loan proceeds on personal expenses. Spencer also admitted that she was aware that her co-conspirators had obtained additional fraudulent PPP loans in the names of other individuals.
Spencer is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Spencer also owes at least $31,250 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-53.
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Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing Weapon at FCI McDowellRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – William Williams, 24, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 12, 2022, an FCI McDowell staff member conducted a random pat-down search of Williams and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in his left front pants pocket. The shank was a piece of metal approximately five inches long with a sharpened point on one end and a cloth handle. Williams admitted to possessing the shank, and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-52.
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Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Kyla Smith, also known as “Flaca,” 29, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Smith admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 29, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Smith on Eighth Avenue in Huntington. Smith admitted that the officer saw her conceal a bag of methamphetamine in the front of her pants during the traffic stop. Smith surrendered the methamphetamine to the officer, and admitted that she intended to distribute the controlled substance. Smith further admitted that she participated in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023. Smith distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl to various customers, including some who redistributed the controlled substances that she provided to them.
Smith and other DTO participants used multiple residences to store and distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, including a Davis Street residence in Huntington maintained by Smith. On November 15, 2023, officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s Davis Street residence and seized approximately 477 grams of fentanyl.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Smith is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Smith is also among 14 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Willie Charles Sanders, also known as “Disco,” 51, of Charleston, pleaded guilty yesterday, April 2, 2024, to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 23, 2022, Sanders sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at Sanders’ Charleston residence.
Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Charleston Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-164.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Thomas Donnell Shaw, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced yesterday, April 1, 2024, to five years in prison to run consecutively to his current state sentence, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2021, Shaw was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by a law enforcement officer. The traffic stop resulted in a search of the vehicle, and officers found a FNH model FNS-40 .40-caliber pistol and a quantity of methamphetamine. Shaw admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent of distributing it within the Southern District of West Virginia. Shaw further admitted that he possessed the firearm in part to protect himself, the drugs and his drug proceeds.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum, Owen Reynolds and Ryan A. Keefe prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-194.
Two More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Gary Diaz, also known as “Poppy,” 66, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and Thomas Shane Holland, 54, of Salt Rock, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Diaz and Holland each admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Diaz’s residence in Nitro and seized multiple bags of methamphetamine and a loaded Diamondback DB 9mm pistol. A forensic analysis later confirmed that the seized methamphetamine included 6.32 grams that was 100 percent purity, 55.76 grams that was 91 percent purity and 871.7 grams that was 75 percent pure. Diaz admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and the firearm and further admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine.
Diaz participated in the DTO from approximately November 2022 through November 2023. Diaz admitted that he received a total of at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine for distribution during this period. Diaz commonly obtained the methamphetamine on consignment, paying for it after it was distributed. Diaz admitted that he received at least 1 pound and as much as 2 pounds at a time during the final six months of his participation in the conspiracy.
Holland admitted to buying approximately 16 grams of methamphetamine from co-defendant Derrell Cashawn Massey outside a Huntington gas station on October 18, 2023. Holland further admitted to arranging the transaction with Massey beforehand by phone. Following the transaction, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Holland was a passenger. Officers found the methamphetamine in a container beside Holland in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Holland admitted that he intended to distribute the 16 grams of methamphetamine.
Diaz is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Holland is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Diaz and Holland are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Diaz and Holland are among 13 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against Massey and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Laura Leigh Jones, 32, of Huntington, was sentenced today to two years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 5 2023, Jones sold approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Richmond Street residence. Jones admitted to arranging the transaction beforehand. Jones further admitted to selling quantities of methamphetamine to the informant on two other occasions in May 2023.
On May 11, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence and seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Tauris PT22 .22-caliber pistol, and .22-caliber ammunition. Jones admitted to the officers that she had been involved in the distribution of drugs within the Southern District of West Virginia and possessed the seized firearm for protection following the theft of fentanyl from her.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-82.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tykeith Diemell Martin, 22, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 14, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington residence where Martin was staying. Officers found approximately 37 grams of heroin, an SCCY 9mm pistol and 9mm ammunition. Martin admitted that he possessed the heroin and firearm and that he intended to distribute the heroin.
Martin is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-150.
Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Harland Lee Todd, 34, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 2, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Todd’s residence and seized 163 grams of cocaine, a Glock Model 30 .45-caliber pistol, a Mossberg model 702 .22-caliber rifle, a Remington model 870 12-gauge shotgun, 16 ammunition magazines, 634 rounds of ammunition and $2,468. Todd admitted that he possessed the cocaine and intended to distribute it, in addition to the 111 grams of cocaine that he had sold on five separate occasions.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Central West Virginia Task Force.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-124.
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Quantel O. Saunders, 29, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years and ten months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 19, 2022, law enforcement officers observed Saunders with a firearm tucked in the front of his waistband outside a service station on the 200 block of North Eisenhower Drive in Beckley. Officers stopped Saunders as he was entering his vehicle and recovered a Ruger-57 5.7x28mm handgun from the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle. Saunders admitted to the officers that he possessed the firearm.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Saunders knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession of a firearm by a prohibited carrier and three counts of wanton endangerment with a firearm in Raleigh County Circuit Court on August 3, 2015.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Parsons prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-108.
Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing Weapon at FCI BeckleyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jonathan Webb, 27, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 26, 2023, an FCI Beckley staff member conducted a pat-down search of Webb and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in his right front pants pocket. The shank was a piece of metal approximately six inches long with a sharpened point on one end and a cloth handle. Webb admitted to possessing the shank, and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
Webb is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-45.
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Greenbrier County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jason Michael Tucker, 43, of Frankford, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 30, 2022, Tucker sold a Ruger model Wrangler .22LR caliber revolver to a confidential informant for $125 in the Frankford area of Greenbrier County. Tucker admitted to the transaction, and further admitted to selling a quantity of heroin to the confidential informant at the same location a few hours before the transaction.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Tucker knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in Monroe County Circuit Court on August 30, 2018, and for delivery of a controlled substance-marijuana in Greenbrier County Circuit Court on April 22, 2005.
Tucker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force is composed of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lewisburg Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-17.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Algie Kenya Scales, 50, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 23, 2023, Scales sold approximately 2.7 grams of fentanyl in Beckley for $300. Scales admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling approximately 5 grams of fentanyl for $625 on March 2, 2023, and to selling approximately 4.7 grams of fentanyl for $600 on March 8, 2023. Both of these additional transactions occurred at a predetermined location in Beckley.
Scales is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-167.
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Raleigh County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ashley Nicole Luster, 28, of Sophia, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Luster sold approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Beckley apartment complex while aided and abetted by co-defendant Angelo Johnson. Luster admitted that she handed the controlled substances over after Johnson took the money.
Luster is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Johnson, 28, of Beckley, was sentenced on December 8, 2023 to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-13.
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Three More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men from Detroit, Michigan, and a Nitro, West Virginia, man pleaded guilty yesterday to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Vernard Antonio Brown, also known as “Bam,” 32, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Paul Anthony Rucker, 46, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Trevon Eaarle Godfrey, also known as “Trey,” 27, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to use of a communications facility in committing, causing, and facilitating a felony controlled substance offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Brown and searched his Huntington residence. Brown admitted that he and others used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Teck .22-caliber pistol, and various rounds of ammunition during the search. Brown admitted that he and other individuals possessed the firearms and intended to sell the controlled substances in exchange for money.
Brown further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023. As part of that participation, Brown admitted to roles in multiple drug transactions within the Southern District of West Virginia. On May 17, 2023, Brown and a co-defendant distributed approximately 446 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On July 13, 2023, Brown arranged for another individual to distribute approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant. On August 15, 2023, Brown distributed approximately 27.7 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant
Officers also arrested Rucker on November 15, 2023, and searched his Nitro residence. Rucker admitted that he and others used the residence to distribute controlled substances. Officers seized 64.45 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 41 grams of fentanyl, 11 firearms, and ammunition during the search. Rucker admitted that he and another individual possessed the firearms and ammunition and intended to distribute the controlled substances found during the search.
Rucker further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least February 2023 through November 2023. As part of that participation, Rucker admitted that he distributed fentanyl to a confidential informant at his Nitro residence on May 19, 2023, and to transporting quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Huntington to Nitro in a vehicle with co-defendant Mark Lawrence Lowe on September 9, 2023. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and seized approximately 149 grams of fentanyl and 222.6 grams of methamphetamine. Rucker admitted that he and Lowe intended to distribute the controlled substances.
On September 4, 2023, Godfrey received a call from another individual who asked Godfrey to conduct a drug transaction with a specific customer. The individual told Godfrey to distribute 10 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of methamphetamine to the customer, who would be bringing $500 for the controlled substances. Godfrey admitted that he met the customer at a location in Huntington pre-arranged by the individual and conducted the transaction. Godfrey further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023.
Brown and Rucker are scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2024, and Godfrey is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024. Brown faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. Rucker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Godfrey faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Brown, Rucker, Godfrey and Lowe are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Brown, Rucker and Godfrey are among 11 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. Another of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against Lowe and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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Two Men Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization, and Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Aiding Co-DefendantRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, two men pleaded guilty today to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia, and a Kanawha County woman pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting one of their co-defendants.
Christopher Anthony O'Dell, 38, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty to distribution of quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and Shakur Raekwan Joyce, also known as “Cheeta,” 23, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. The woman, Sharon Lyn Teston, 62, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 18, 2023, O’Dell sold approximately 1.1 grams fentanyl and 3.5 grams of methamphetamine for $200 to a confidential informant at O’Dell’s Hurricane residence. O’Dell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand with the confidential informant by text message.
O’Dell further admitted to participating in the DTO with other individuals from approximately November 2022 through November 2023. The DTO participants used a St. Albans residence to store and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. O’Dell conducted distributions and transported various individuals from the St. Albans residence to a Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington where they received additional amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine before O’Dell transported them back to the St. Albans residence.
On August 24, 2023, Teston traveled with Gary Diaz, a co-defendant of O’Dell and Joyce, to the Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington, where Diaz received approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine. Teston admitted that Diaz gave her the methamphetamine and she hid it in her pants before they drove from Huntington to Nitro. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle on Interstate 64 in Hurricane. During the traffic stop, an officer located and seized the methamphetamine hidden in Teston’s pants. Teston admitted that she knew Diaz was a methamphetamine distributor and that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine she concealed for him.
On August 28, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by O’Dell in St. Albans. The officer seized approximately 51 grams of fentanyl and two muzzleloading pistols from the vehicle during the traffic stop. O’Dell admitted that co-defendant Jashawn William Lawson was a passenger in his vehicle during the traffic stop and that he was aware that Lawson was in possession of fentanyl that Lawson was transporting to St. Albans to distribute. O’Dell further admitted to possessing the seized firearms.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers served an arrested warrant on Joyce at his Huntington residence. Officers conducted a search of the residence with Joyce’s consent and found a quantity of methamphetamine in his bedroom. Joyce admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine and intended to distribute it.
Joyce further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 to in and around November 2023. Joyce transported methamphetamine and collected and transported drug proceeds on behalf of other individuals, and received methamphetamine that he distributed to various customers. Joyce admitted that he possessed approximately 877 grams of methamphetamine seized by law enforcement officers during a September 20, 2023 traffic stop of a vehicle in which he was traveling on I-64 in Hurricane.
O'Dell, Joyce and Teston are scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2024. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
O'Dell, Joyce, Lawson and Diaz are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Teston was among the 27 individuals indicted, but pleaded guilty in a separate case.
O’Dell and Joyce are among eight defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. The indictment against Lawson, Diaz and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the cases.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:23-cr-180 (O’Dell and Joyce) and 3:24-cr-8 (Teston).
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Aaron Zachary Slash, 23, of Huntington, was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 5, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Slash on the 700 block of Sixth Avenue in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle and found approximately 92 grams of heroin, a loaded Glock 17 9mm pistol and approximately $1,717 in the vehicle. Slash admitted that he possessed the seized heroin and intended to distribute it. Slash further admitted that the cash was proceeds from selling heroin.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-173.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Christopher D. Spaulding, also known as “Casino,” 32, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 12 years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. Spaulding admitted to providing controlled substances containing fentanyl to two individuals who overdosed, one of them fatally.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2019, Spaulding was at an Eighth Street bar in Huntington when two individuals, a man and a woman, approached him and asked if he had cocaine for sale. Spaulding accompanied the individuals from the bar to the woman’s vehicle parked outside. Spaulding admitted that while in the vehicle, he distributed a substance containing cocaine and fentanyl to both individuals.
Spaulding further admitted that shortly after the woman nasally inhaled the substance, she began to exhibit signs of an overdose. Spaulding moved her from the driver’s seat of her vehicle to the passenger seat, and drove her vehicle to multiple locations to meet his friends while the woman was overdosing inside the vehicle.
Hours after leaving the bar, Spaulding drove the woman to Cabell Huntington Hospital in her vehicle. She was not responsive or breathing when they reached the hospital, and hospital staff physically removed her from the vehicle. The woman was later pronounced dead by medical staff.
After leaving the woman at the hospital, Spaulding drove her vehicle into Ohio where he dropped off his friends at a hotel. Spauling eventually left the vehicle in Guyandotte, Ohio, placing its keys in the glove compartment.
Spaulding admitted that he later learned that the man he had distributed the controlled substance to that evening had also exhibited signs of an overdose after nasally inhaling the substance. The man received naloxone from Cabell County Emergency Medical Services. He was transported to Cabell Huntington Hospital where he recovered.
Toxicology testing confirmed that the substance distributed by Spaulding to both individuals contained fentanyl and cocaine. Spaulding admitted that the cause of death of the woman was due to alcohol, fentanyl and cocaine intoxication. Spaulding further admitted that she would not have died but for the fentanyl he distributed to her.
Spaulding has a long criminal history that includes 10 prior convictions. At the time of this offense, Spaulding was on parole following his conviction for attempt to commit a felony in Cabell County Circuit Court on June 9, 2017.
“Mr. Spaulding engaged in an inherently dangerous activity at a time when our communities continue to face an opioid epidemic and the devastating loss of life from overdoses,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The defendant not only caused a death by distributing fentanyl, but possibly could have prevented that death had he not failed to obtain professional medical treatment when he became aware the woman was overdosing.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-18.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Arthur Ray Elkins, 59, of Chesapeake, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2023, Elkins sold 55.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Chesapeake.
Elkins is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-15.
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Inmate Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Weapon at FCI BeckleyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Dana Stewart, 30, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, was sentenced today to one year and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 30, 2022, Stewart struck another inmate with a handcrafted weapon, a lock attached to a sock. FCI Beckley staff witnessed the incident and recovered the weapon afterward. Stewart admitted to possessing a prohibited item that was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-55.
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Inmate Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Weapon at FCI BeckleyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Dana Stewart, 30, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, was sentenced today to one year and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 30, 2022, Stewart struck another inmate with a handcrafted weapon, a lock attached to a sock. FCI Beckley staff witnessed the incident and recovered the weapon afterward. Stewart admitted to possessing a prohibited item that was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-55.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Lorenzo B. Herbert, 34, of Beckley, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence near Beckley. Officers found quantities of fentanyl, a substance containing methamphetamine and $8,245. Herbert admitted that he was mixing and preparing fentanyl for distribution in the residence’s kitchen at the time the search warrant was executed. Herbert further admitted that the cash represented proceeds of previous drug trafficking activity.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), FBI Chicago, and the Chicago Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-193.
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U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Co-Host United Against Hate Community Forum on March 19 in HuntingtonRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join with Huntington Mayor Steve Williams and other community leaders for a United Against Hate forum on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Marshall Health Network Arena Convention Center. The forum is free and open to the public.
The United Against Hate (UAH) Community Outreach Program is a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat unlawful acts of hate. The initiative aims to improve hate crime reporting by teaching community members how to identify, report, and help prevent hate crimes, and by building trust between law enforcement and communities.
UAH shares resources to combat hate and encourages discussion between representatives from law enforcement, community organizations, and members of the public. UAH emphasizes that while some hate-fueled incidents—standing alone—may not be a crime, people should still report those incidents to local law enforcement and the FBI.
“This forum is an excellent opportunity to hear from the community, raise awareness and further education about hate crimes and bias incidents,” Thompson said. “Working together and listening to each other is how we combat violence, threats and other unlawful acts fueled by hate.”
"Huntington is a welcoming community that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion, but there are still individuals who want to tear down the progress we have made," Mayor Steve Williams said. "That's why I am eager to partner with the U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and engage our community on this important topic."
U.S. Attorneys from across the country have so far hosted over 50 UAH events since the September 2022 launch of the initiative. The March 19, 2024, forum will include presentations about UAH and federal and West Virginia hate crime laws as well as a panel session featuring community leaders.
The panel is scheduled to include:
- Charles Meyers: past president, Cabell-Huntington NAACP
- Hoyt Glazer, J.D.: president, Temple B’nai Sholom
- Sue Barazi: vice president, Islamic Association of West Virginia
- Ally Layman: president, Huntington Pride
- Angela Adams: president and CEO, Mountain State Centers for Independent Living
For more information about the forum, contact Tracy Chapman with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (800) 659-8726, (304) 340-2349 or [email protected].
WHAT: United Against Hate Community Forum
WHEN: Tuesday, March 19, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Marshall Health Network Arena Convention Center, One Civic Center Plaza, Huntington, W.Va.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kayla Brooke McCallister, 29, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 17, 2023, McCallister purchased a Alex Pro Firearm (APF) model Guardian 5.56mm rifle at a South Charleston business. McCallister admitted that she falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearm when she knew she was purchasing it for someone else.
McCallister further admitted that she bought nine additional firearms at the South Charleston business and another business in Dunbar between April 24, 2023, and May 30, 2023, and falsely certified on the ATF Form 4473 during each purchase that she was the buyer when she was purchasing the firearms for someone else.
McCallister is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-38.
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Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nicole Leigh Fierbaugh, 44, of Charleston, was sentenced today to one year and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Fierbaugh admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2022 and March 22, 2023, Fierbaugh conspired with other individuals to sell quantities of methamphetamine. Fierbaugh admitted to collecting money from customers and using that money to purchase methamphetamine from a co-defendant. Fierbaugh further admitted to delivering methamphetamine to the customers while usually keeping some of the methamphetamine she purchased with their money for her personal use.
On January 30, 2023, Fierbaugh arranged by phone to purchase methamphetamine from a co-defendant, who directed her to a woman who lived at his Charleston residence. Fierbaugh admitted to providing the woman with $160 in exchange for approximately 10.5 grams of methamphetamine.
Fierbaugh is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Fierbaugh is among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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Michigan Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nicole Christian Ball, 44, of Jackson, Michigan, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 12, 2021, Ball delivered methamphetamine, fentanyl and a cutting agent to mix with the fentanyl and increase the sellable amount to an individual in the Pea Ridge Road area of Oak Hill, West Virginia. Ball admitted that she was acting as a courier for co-defendant Darrell Lamar Holcomb. Ball further admitted she took what she believed to be $60,000 packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic from the individual after he unloaded the drugs and cutting agent from her vehicle and placed them in his vehicle. Law enforcement officers stopped Ball’s vehicle following the transaction and seized the money.
Holcomb, also known as “Smiley,” 32, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was sentenced on December 7, 2023, to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl and aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central West Virginia Task Force.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-216.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Fraudulently Obtain Unemployment and COVID-19 BenefitsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joshua Lambert, 36, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to steal public money, property or records. Lambert admitted that he fraudulently obtained more than $10,616 in unemployment benefits, including COVID-19 supplementary funds, while in state and federal custody.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lambert had been receiving legitimate unemployment benefits from June 2020 until on or about September 28, 2020, when he was incarcerated on state and federal charges. Lambert admitted that he conspired with his mother to receive unemployment benefits fraudulently while he was incarcerated. From her residence in St. Albans, Lambert’s mother accessed the WorkForce West Virginia website for 32 consecutive weeks and falsely certified that Lambert was entitled to unemployment benefits. WorkForce West Virginia administers the unemployment compensation program for the State of West Virginia. Lambert admitted that he was not entitled to the benefits because he was incarcerated and unavailable to work.
Lambert was released from incarceration on or about April 8, 2024. Lambert admitted that he fraudulently applied for and received more than $10,616 in unemployment compensation benefits from at least September 2020 through at least May 2022. Lambert further admitted that the unemployment benefits he fraudulently obtained included supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Lambert is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Lambert also owes $10,616 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman is prosecuting the case.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided for a temporary emergency increase in unemployment compensation benefits, referred to as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC). Although these benefits were administered by the states, they were funded in part by the federal government.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-39.
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Former Nicholas County Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jarrod Steven Bennett, 38, of Mt. Nebo, a former Nicholas County deputy sheriff, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about March 2, 2023, while employed as a deputy with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department, Bennett recorded two videos using his cell phone of a minor female sleeping on a couch. Bennett admitted that he knew the girl to be under the age of 12 when he recorded the videos. In both videos, the girl is face down on the couch with a blanket covering her torso and her bare legs exposed. In the first video, Bennett filmed the girl as he walked toward her and zoomed the camera to focus on her buttocks. Bennett admitted that he continued to walk toward her as he recorded the second video and filmed his exposed penis and him masturbating near the sleeping girl.
Bennett further admitted to saving the videos to his Snapchat account, transmitting them over the internet in the process. Bennett has since been terminated as a deputy.
Bennett is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bennett must also register as a sex offender.
“The defendant exploited a minor child under his care and betrayed her and the community he swore to serve and protect with his deplorable actions,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.
“This was a terrible crime, and that it was committed by someone we considered a brother-in-arms makes it so much worse,” said Nicholas County Sheriff William F. Nunley. “We will never turn a blind eye to anyone sworn to uphold the law in this great State or Country.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-144.
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Boone County Man Sentenced for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cody Allen Dalton, 31, of Madison, was sentenced today to four years of federal probation, including six months on home detention, and ordered to pay $1,972 in restitution for mail theft.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 1, 2020, Dalton stole a black and white striped sports referee jersey from a post office parcel locker at the Madison Post Office.
Dalton admitted to law enforcement officers that he stole mail including packages, bank statements and deposit slips on multiple occasions from post office boxes at the Madison Post Office from December 2020 to March 2021. Dalton told officers he exchanged the mail items he stole for drugs or money. Dalton also told officers that he conspired with others who stole mail, and allowed these other thieves to use his name to alter stolen checks and name him as their payee.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Madison Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-140.
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Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael Allen Roberts Jr., 40, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 14 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. Roberts admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between November 2022 and March 15, 2023, Roberts conspired with other individuals to distribute quantities of methamphetamine.
On March 14, 2023, Roberts met with co-defendant Todd Tyler Snead at Roberts’ residence in Saint Albans, where he delivered approximately 4 pounds of methamphetamine to Snead. Law enforcement officers later searched Snead’s vehicle and recovered the methamphetamine.
Co-defendant Antonio Jeffries had delivered 50 pounds of methamphetamine to Roberts’ residence a couple of weeks prior to March 15, 2023.
On March 15, 2023, law enforcement officers searched a property on Smith Street in St. Albans and seized approximately 44 pounds of methamphetamine. Roberts admitted that he had placed the methamphetamine at the property a day or two before the search.
Snead, 57, of Waynesboro, Virginia, was sentenced on September 6, 2023, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Roberts and Snead are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Roberts and Snead are among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against Jeffries and the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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Three Kanawha County Women Sentenced for Roles in Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Three Kanawha County women were sentenced today for roles in a fraudulent scheme that used personal identification information stolen through the employment of two of the women with an office cleaning service.
Brittany King, 35, of East Bank, and Tabatha Deavers, 30, of Charleston, were each sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Amy Deavers, 51, of Glasgow, the mother of Tabatha Deavers, was sentenced to six months of incarceration, which she has already served, and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Amy Deavers and Tabatha Deavers were jointly ordered to pay $4,256.06 in restitution, with additional restitution amounts for Tabatha Deavers and King to be determined.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately December 2020 through at least December 1, 2022, King and Tabatha Deavers unlawfully obtained the personal identification information of multiple individuals through their employment with a business that cleaned local office spaces. King and Tabatha Deavers rerouted the mail of their identity theft victims and opened lines of credit and bank accounts and obtained loans and credit cards in the names of their identity theft victims.
From approximately December 2020 through at least December 1, 2022, King and Tabatha Deavers stole money and property from individuals, companies, lenders, financial institutions and car dealerships with their scheme. King and Tabatha Deavers submitted a fraudulent change of address form to the United States Postal Service to reroute one victim’s mail to their Bridge Road apartment in Charleston on June 7, 2022. Tabatha Deavers attempted to purchase a vehicle from a Charleston area car dealership using the personal identification information of another victim on January 15, 2022. King fraudulently used another victim’s personal identification information to purchase a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu from a Charleston business on September 30, 2022.
King and Tabatha Deavers caused a loss of at least $260,239.19 to more than 10 victims as a result of their fraudulent schemes. Amy Deavers became involved in the wire fraud scheme after King and Tabatha Deavers were arrested and federally charged for their actions on December 5, 2022. King and Tabatha Deavers attempted to transfer $1,000 from one of the scheme’s fraudulent bank accounts to Amy Deavers on December 30, 2022. This account was opened to reroute the Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits of one of the identity theft victims.
On January 30, 2023, Tabatha Deavers was incarcerated at the South Central Regional Jail when she spoke to Amy Deavers during a recorded jail phone call. Tabatha Deavers provided Amy Deavers with information during the call to access and transfer funds from the veteran victim’s fraudulent account.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, the United States Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell, Jonathan T. Storage and Kathleen Robeson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-14.
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Mercer County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Denise R. Allen, 29, of Bluefield, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 16, 2023, Allen and another individual were apprehended at a gun store in Princeton, West Virginia. Following their arrest, Allen and the other individual consented to a search by law enforcement officers of a truck they had rented using a stolen identity. Officers found 431 grams of methamphetamine, 21 grams of fentanyl and two Glock 9mm semiautomatic handguns during the search of the rental truck. Allen further admitted that she and the other individual possessed the methamphetamine and fentanyl and intended to distribute it.
Allen is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at last three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-196.
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Lincoln County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Evans Hughes, 51, of Sumerco, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 28, 2018, Hughes sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the South Charleston area of Kanawha County. Hughes admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling methamphetamine to the confidential informant on seven other occasions between July 2018 and November 2018.
Hughes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senior States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-83.
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Beckley Woman Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Keniesha Brack, 27, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to false statements made during the purchase of firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 19, 2021, Brack purchased a Glock model 27 GEN5 .40-caliber pistol and a Glock model 30 .45-caliber pistol from a Mount Hope business. Brack admitted that she falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearms when she knew she was purchasing them for someone else.
On June 13, 2021, Brack attended the R+R Gun Show at the Beckley Armory in Beckley and purchased a Taurus model G3C 9mm pistol, a Taurus model G2C 9mm pistol and a Glock model 33GEN4 .357-caliber pistol from a Federal Firearm Licensee. Brack admitted that she falsely certified on the ATF Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearms when she knew she was purchasing them for someone else.
On June 25, 2021, Brack purchased a Glock model 36 .45-caliber pistol and a Glock model 43X 9mm pistol from a Beckley business. Brack admitted that she falsely certified on the ATF Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearms when she knew she was purchasing them for someone else.
Brack is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-32.
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Princeton Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Kaleb Merritt, 27, of Princeton, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 27, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Merritt on a Virginia warrant at the Princeton business where he was working. Merritt told the officers that he had a firearm when they asked him if he had any weapons. Officers found a Glock model 43 pistol in Merritt’s pants pocket.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Merritt knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for first-degree arson in Mercer County Circuit Court on June 12, 2015.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service and the Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division (CUFFED) Task Force.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-206.
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One Princeton Man Pleads Guilty, Another Sentenced to Prison in Federal Drug CaseRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Today, Dailen Isaiah Defoe, 20, of Princeton, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and Malachi Damonte Cooper, 22, of Princeton, was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 8, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Bluefield residence where Defoe and Cooper were staying. Officers found 734 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 130 grams of fentanyl, digital scales, a money counter, a Micro Draco 7.62mm semi-automatic pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol loaded with a 30-round magazine, and over $23,000. Defoe and Cooper admitted that they possessed the controlled substances and intended to distribute them.
Defoe further admitted to selling a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Princeton on August 19, 2021. Defoe also admitted to selling additional quantities of fentanyl to the confidential informant in Princeton on August 23 and August 31, 2021.
On August 31, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence where Defoe was staying in Princeton. Officers found approximately 375 grams of methamphetamine, 774 grams of fentanyl, 13 grams of heroin, three semi-automatic handguns, two drum magazines, various other firearm magazines and ammunition, and several thousand dollars. Defoe admitted that he possessed the controlled substances and intended to distribute them.
Defoe is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-119.
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Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Illegal Gambling BusinessRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Allison Jones, 46, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from September 20, 2020 until October 1, 2022, Jones was the online host for an illegal gambling business. Jones admitted to conducting online games of chance for the illegal gambling business on Facebook Live from her Huntington residence.
Jones further admitted that two primary administrators/organizers owned, directed, managed and controlled the illegal gambling business and that it also had several moderators who supervised the online games and handled any customer problems that arose during the games. Jones was among dozens of hosts who conducted the online games. The other members of the illegal gambling business were customers, online gamblers located throughout the United States who played the online games conducted by the illegal gambling business primarily by purchasing pull tabs from hosts.
Jones paid a monthly fee to the administrators/organizers and agreed to the terms they set in exchange for the right to conduct games in the illegal gambling business. Jones admitted that she typically hosted two to three online games per week and made money as a host by selling pull tabs. Online customers would comment in the online comment section for the illegal gambling business to indicate how much money they were wagering and then transfer money to Jones via an external online payment system. Jones would then pull the tabs while the customers watched on Facebook Live. When a customer won prize money, Jones would send the winnings to the customer via the external online payment system.
Jones received about 25 percent of the net sales of each box of pull tabs as her profit. Each box typically contained 4,000 tabs that Jones typically sold to customers for $1 a tab, earning her $600 to $800 per box. Jones further admitted that she purchased the pull tab games from a Charleston-area business about once per week with her profits from hosting online games.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman and Kristin F. Scott are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-21.
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Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Christina Lynn Perkins, also known as “Christina Lynn Jack-Davis,” “Cece,” “Christi Jack,” “Ice Queen,” and “CJ,” 51, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 24, 2020, Perkins sold approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $800. The transaction occurred at Perkins’ apartment. Perkins admitted to the transaction and to arranging it with the confidential informant beforehand. Perkins further admitted to arranging for another individual to sell approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on July 23, 2020, and to selling approximately 13.71 grams of methamphetamine for $350 to a confidential informant in Huntington on December 3, 2020.
Following the December 3, 2020, transaction, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Perkins was driving. Officers seized approximately 314 grams of methamphetamine, 27 grams of cocaine, 6 grams of fentanyl and digital scales. Perkins admitted that she intended to sell the seized controlled substances in exchange for money.
On December 4, 2020, officers searched a residence in Huntington where Perkins stayed as a guest. Officers seized approximately 123 grams of fentanyl, 449 grams of methamphetamine, 139 grams of cocaine and four firearms. Perkins admitted to possessing the firearms and to intending to sell the seized controlled substances.
Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Ona Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-178.
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