Southern District of West Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Scott Jeremy Savage, 46, of Nitro, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 17, 2022, and March 9, 2023, Savage conspired with others to distribute quantities of fentanyl while living in Putnam County. Savage admitted to purchasing fentanyl from a co-defendant who lived in the Charleston area and to arranging transactions with this co-defendant by cell phone. Savage further admitted that the co-defendant often fronted him the fentanyl and he would pay the co-defendant back after he sold it.
On October 17, 2022, Savage sold approximately 2.23 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at his residence. On October 18, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Savage’s residence and seized approximately 2.93 grams of fentanyl, 2.2 grans of methamphetamine, and a loaded Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
On January 27, 2023, Savage exchanged phone calls and text messages with the co-defendant to arrange the purchase of a one-quarter ounce of fentanyl. Savage admitted that he believed he would have an easier time mixing that quantity with cutting agents to increase its volume and maximize his profits. Savage further admitted that he agreed with the co-defendant that he owed $445 from prior fentanyl transactions.
During a phone call the next day, Savage told the co-defendant that customers had complained about the fentanyl he had purchased the day before and asked the co-defendant to provide stronger fentanyl. Savage admitted that the co-defendant agreed to provide him with 4 to five grams of fentanyl. On March 9, 2023, Savage sold approximately 1.3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Putnam County gas station.
Savage is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Savage is among 30 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 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.
Nineteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent 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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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Leslie Russell Burney, 36, of Groveport, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 20, 2021, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Burney on Interstate 77 in the area of Ripley, West Virginia. After the officer approached the vehicle and asked for his driver’s license, Burney drove off in an attempt to flee. Officers pursued Burney’s vehicle until he stopped off of the interstate and fled on foot with a red backpack from his vehicle. Officers located and captured Burney, and seized the backpack. Burney admitted that the backpack contained more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Burney further admitted that he was going to receive payment to deliver the drugs in the backpack, and fled the traffic stop because he did not want the drugs to be discovered.
Burney is scheduled to be sentenced on December 5, 2023, 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.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Ripley Police Department, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Alexander A. Redmon 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. 2:22-cr-91.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Darrail Antoine Pulley, 24, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 17, 2023, Pulley sold approximately 1.39 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in an alley behind a residence on the 1800 block of Ninth Avenue in Huntington.
Pulley is scheduled to be sentenced on November 27, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, 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 Department.
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-41.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Duncan, 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 24, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Duncan’s residence and seized electronic devices including a cell phone. A forensic analysis of the cell phone revealed 18 videos and 13 images of child pornography. One image depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female.
A search warrant executed for Duncan’s email account revealed 10 videos of child pornography, including one video that contained 69 individual videos. One of the 69 videos in the collection depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female.
Duncan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Duncan must also register as a sex offender.
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), the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Francesca C. Rollo and Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and 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-46.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brandon Ellis Gates, 37, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a mixture containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 12, 2022, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Gates on Interstate 77 in Jackson County. Gates admitted to possessing approximately four pounds of methamphetamine found during the officer’s search of the vehicle. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substance was crystal methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” and was 93 percent pure.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshals Service and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and J.C. MacCallum 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-146.
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Morgantown Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Steven Reger, 47, of Morgantown, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 23, 2021, Reger sold approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant near a garage in Parkersburg. Reger admitted to selling the methamphetamine to the informant and receiving $5,000 as well as $10,000 from prior drug deals from the informant.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Negar M. Kordestani 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-196.
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Fayette County Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – William Lawrence Bryant, 33, of Fayetteville, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography. Bryant must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 1, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bryant’s residence and seized multiple digital media devices including computers, cell phones, and external hard drives. A forensic analysis of the seized devices revealed over 17,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including 20 images of child pornography that Bryant produced himself.
Bryant told the officers that he downloaded and distributed child pornography on various internet platforms and websites for several years. Bryant admitted that the digital media devices were his and contained images and videos showing prepubescent minor male children subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Bryant further admitted that the child pornography he possessed included a video of a male toddler being sexually assaulted by an adult male.
A photograph on one of the seized cell phones depicts Bryant naked with a minor male child who was asleep and in underwear. Bryant admitted to taking the photograph and further admitted that the minor male child was younger than 12 years old.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, and the FBI Baltimore field office.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe and Julie M. White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and 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. 2:22-cr-112.
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Logan County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Vada Leann White, 32, of Big Creek, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 1, 2021, White was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a law enforcement officer in the Jeffrey area of Boone County. The officer searched the vehicle and found seven bags containing a total of approximately 139 grams of methamphetamine. The officer also found $3,436 on White’s person and in the vehicle. White told the officer that she possessed the methamphetamine and intended to sell it.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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-142.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Galen Flowers, 40, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Flowers’ St. Albans home and at an adjoining property on which Flowers admitted he had been storing some of his property and other belongings, including several cars. Officers seized over 1,300 grams of methamphetamine and quantities of other controlled substances, including fentanyl, in connection with the search. Officers also seized 21 firearms and a stolen and loaded Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which Flowers had obtained in an exchange for drugs.
Flowers has a long criminal history that includes two prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, both in Putnam County Circuit Court, on September 5, 2008, and October 13, 2009.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Negar M. Kordestani 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-131.
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Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terry Dwayne Jones, 34, of Macomb, Michigan, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 15, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jones on Interstate 77 near Ripley. Officers searched the vehicle and found one bottle of pills in the glove compartment and a second bottle of pills in the trunk. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the nearly 1,000 pills found inside the two bottles contained a total of approximately 106 grams of fentanyl. The pills were mislabeled as Percocet rather than fentanyl. Jones admitted that he possessed the pills, knew they contained a controlled substance, and planned to distribute them.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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-137.
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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tevon O'Shea Vanhorn, also known as "Von," 28, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least June 2022 to on or about March 2023, Vanhorn obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl and distributed quantities of the controlled substances to several customers at multiple locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Vanhorn communicated with his customers by cell phone to arrange drug-related transactions, and knew that several of his customers redistributed the methamphetamine and fentanyl he sold them.
On February 21, 2022, Vanhorn attempted to mail a package containing approximately $74,835 from Charleston, West Virginia, to Detroit, Michigan, as part of the drug distribution conspiracy. Law enforcement officers intercepted and seized the package.
Vanhorn is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and J.C. MacCallum are prosecuting the case.
The case is a result of “Operation Into The Woods,” a 10-month investigation of drug trafficking in Kanawha and Boone counties. Vanhorn and several other individuals have been indicted including Toby Lee Graley, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl on August 1, 2023 and is awaiting sentencing. Law enforcement seized 120 grams of methamphetamine, four shotguns, and approximately $23,150 from Graley when he was arrested. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF 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. Today, 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-44.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Billy Eggleston, 50, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Eggleston must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 26, 2020, Eggleston engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent female for the purpose of photographing such conduct. Eggleston admitted to using his cell phone to take a series of 62 photos of him engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the prepubescent female while she was sleeping. The sexually explicit photos were taken by Eggleston in his bedroom.
Eggleston transferred the images to his desktop computer. Eggleston admitted to possessing nearly 5,000 videos and images of child pornography on his desktop computer and a memory card on October 21, 2022. Eggleston further admitted that one of these images was of an adult male sexually assaulting a minor female between four and seven years old, and another image was of a minor female between two and four years old subjected to sexually explicit conduct by an adult male.
“To prey upon this child, Billy Eggleston gained the trust of her and her family and then betrayed that trust in a most abhorrent manner to fulfill his depraved fantasies,” United States Attorney Will Thompson said. “I commend the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) and the St. Albans Police Department, and the assistance provided by the Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) Children’s Advocacy Center.”
“Through his vile actions, Mr. Eggleston has proven to be a threat to the law-abiding residents of his community,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. “The severity of his sentence displays the degree of danger that he presented. We cannot tolerate such a menace to prey upon the good people of our West Virginia neighborhoods. HSI Washington, D.C., along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue to detect, disrupt, and apprehend anyone who means to cause harm to the people that we have sworn to protect.”
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted 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 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-3.
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Boone County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Troy Wilson Wheatley, 42, of Boone County, was sentenced today to five years and eight 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 August 30, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to reports of a shooting at Wheatley’s residence near Chapmanville. Officers encountered Wheatley and seized a Ruger, model Security-9, 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson, .22-caliber pistol. One firearm was in a holster on Wheatley’s hip and the other was in his back pocket. Wheatley admitted to possessing the firearms and further admitted to the officers that he had discharged a firearm when his nephew drove past the residence that morning.
On December 2, 2021, Wheatley was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a law enforcement officer in the Big Creek area of Logan County. Wheatley was wearing an empty pistol holster on his belt, and told the officer there was a firearm under the seat. The officer found a Beretta model 950 .25-caliber pistol under Wheatley’s seat. The officer obtained a search warrant for Wheatley’s residence that day and seized a SCCY model CPX-2 9mm pistol between Wheatley’s mattress.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Wheatley was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Nicholas County Circuit Court on February 3, 2006.
Wheatley’s long criminal history includes prior convictions for such other offenses as obstructing an officer, disrupting public service, petit larceny, possession of methamphetamine, possession of stolen property, threatening communications by electronic device, being a person prohibited from possessing firearms, and more than 10 separate counts of driving on a suspended/revoked license.
The Court granted an upward variance from Wheatley’s original sentencing range, citing several factors including his decades-long pattern of criminal conduct.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston 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 Boone County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Lesley Shamblin 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-225.
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Inmate Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Corey Michael Perkins, 34, an inmate, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2022, Perkins was an inmate at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville when he spoke to another individual outside the jail during recorded phone calls about getting a package of suboxone and methamphetamine into the jail. Perkins admitted that he instructed the individual on how to prepare the package, paid an employee working at the jail to transport the package inside, and arranged a meeting between the outside individual and the employee. Perkins further admitted that he intended to distribute the suboxone and methamphetamine. The package was intercepted at the jail before it could be transported inside.
Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Perkins conspired with Judy Ann Goodman, also known as Judy Ann Eplion, and Bryanna Danielle Kern. Goodman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine on April 3, 2023. Goodman admitted to conducting the recorded jail phone calls with Perkins. Kern pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone on February 21, 2023. Kern admitted to conspiring with Perkins and Goodman while working as a kitchen employee at the Western Regional Jail. Goodman and Kern each await sentencing.
In an earlier case, Perkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. In that case, Perkins admitted to coordinating with multiple individuals to get drugs into the Western Regional Jail from November to December 2020. Perkins was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison in that case on August 22, 2022.
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 investigations section of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Keefe and Courtney L. Finney 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. 3:22-cr-220.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Ampless Ray Lilly, 50, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 30, 2018, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Lilly in Hurricane. Lilly admitted to telling the officer that he had a gun and was a convicted felon. The officer found a Ruger 9mm pistol between the driver’s seat and center console.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Lilly knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for first-degree sexual assault in Lincoln County Circuit Court on January 22, 1993.
Lilly is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 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 Hurricane Police Department.
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. 3:23-cr-9.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kevin Gerard Denson, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to two 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 June 30, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a report of shots fired on Leon Sullivan Way in Charleston. Officers encountered Denson exiting a vehicle in an alley near Jet Life Apparel. Officers found two firearms in the vehicle, a Dickinson, model XXPA, 12-gauge shotgun and a Smith & Wesson, model M&P 15, 5.56-caliber rifle. Each firearm was loaded with a high-capacity drum magazine.
Officers also found a bullet hole at the entrance to Jet Life Apparel, and obtained a search warrant for the store’s video surveillance system. The footage showed Denson carrying the two firearms and Jonathan Kennedy, 41, of St. Albans, running across the store while holding the shotgun following an apparent altercation outside.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Denson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of cocaine in Kanawha Circuit Court on June 12, 2013.
The video surveillance footage showed Kennedy and Denson possessed the firearms after Jamon L. Woodson fired a pistol in the direction of Jet Life Apparel following an apparent verbal argument. Officers recovered a spent 9mm casing from the street near where the pistol was fired.
Woodson was sentenced to five years in prison on July 20, 2023, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Kennedy was sentenced to three years in prison on August 1, 2023, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“On a day when huge crowds were heading to the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta, Mr. Denson and Mr. Kennedy brandished firearms with large-capacity magazines after Mr. Woodson fired a pistol outside a downtown business in broad daylight. It is a miracle that no one was hurt,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department, and the quick law enforcement response that prevented this disturbing incident from escalating.”
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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. 2:22-cr-145.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Levi Rider, 19, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2022, Rider possessed videos on his cell phone depicting minors subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Rider admitted that he had downloaded the videos to his phone and further admitted that one of the videos depicted an adult male sexually abusing a prepubescent girl.
Rider is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Rider must also register as a sex offender.
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 West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and 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-24.
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Wood County Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Obtaining Unemployment and COVID-19 BenefitsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Daniel Satow, 33, of Davisville, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $21,238 in restitution for unlawfully obtaining unemployment benefits, including supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 20, 2020, Satow logged on to the WorkForce West Virginia website and applied for unemployment compensation. Satow admitted he was employed at the time and that he falsely claimed when he applied that he had not been gainfully employed since September 9, 2020, and that the coronavirus pandemic prevented him from working.
Satow’s fraudulent application was approved and he received a debit card loaded with unemployment compensation benefits through the mail at his Davisville residence on January 5, 2021. Satow admitted that he used the debit card to make purchases for himself while knowing he had obtained the benefits fraudulently.
Satow further admitted that he continued to access the WorkForce West Virginia website for 26 consecutive weeks and each time falsely certified that he remained entitled to unemployment compensation benefits. WorkForce West Virginia relied on Satow’s false answers and loaded additional benefits onto the debit card weekly. These benefits included supplementary funds provided by the FPUC program. Satow admitted that he continued to use the debit card to make personal purchases.
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 are administered by the states, they are funded in part by the federal government.
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.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell prosecuted 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. 2:23-cr-56.
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Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jaiesha Keyshara Morris, 18, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for several months prior to March 10, 2023, Morris kept methamphetamine belonging to another person at her residence as part of a conspiracy with other people to distribute methamphetamine. Morris would communicate with the person who was selling the methamphetamine by cell phone to arrange drug-related transactions. On March 10, 2023, this person asked Morris to deliver an ounce of methamphetamine to an individual. Morris drove to the Sheetz in South Charleston and delivered the methamphetamine to the purchaser as instructed.
Morris is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2023, 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 U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and J.C. MacCallum are prosecuting the case.
The case is a result of “Operation Into The Woods,” a 10-month investigation of drug trafficking in Kanawha and Boone counties. Morris and several other individuals have been indicted including Toby Lee Graley, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl on August 1, 2023 and is awaiting sentencing. Law enforcement seized 120 grams of methamphetamine, four shotguns, and approximately $23,150 from Graley when he was arrested. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF 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. Today, 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-44.
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Charleston Man Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aalik Wilsher, 26, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $20,459.33 in restitution for receipt of stolen money. Wilsher admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $20,459.33 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, on April 14, 2021, Wilsher applied for a PPP loan for his purported business, “Aalik Wilsher.” Wilsher admitted that he falsely certified that “Aalik Wilsher” was established in 2019 and was in operation on February 15, 2020. Wilsher further admitted to submitting a false IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, to state that “Aalik Wilsher” had earned $97,587 in gross income during 2019.
The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses applying for PPP loans had to certify that the business was in operation on February 15, 2020, and were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.
Wilsher’s fraudulent PPP loan application was approved and $20,330 was electronically deposited from a financial institution in Florida to Wilsher’s bank account in Charleston, West Virginia, on April 30, 2021.
Wilsher later applied to have the fraudulent PPP loan and $129.33 in accrued interest forgiven. Wilsher admitted that he had not spent the loan proceeds on permissible business expenses. The SBA forgave Wilsher’s fraudulent PPP loan on December 13, 2021.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted 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. 2:23-cr-51.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Thomas Matthew Blankenship., 39, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 11 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 10, 2022, law enforcement officers served arrest warrants on Blankenship as he left a residence in the Pecks Mill area of Logan County, West Virginia. After he was placed in handcuffs, officers found approximately 95 grams of fentanyl, 11 grams of methamphetamine, and a loaded 9mm pistol on his person. Blankenship admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs, and that he possessed the pistol in order to protect himself, the drugs, and any money he made from selling the drugs.
Blankenship has a long criminal history that includes nine prior felony convictions, including for felonious assault, improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, tampering with evidence, trafficking in heroin, felon in possession of a firearm, and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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-197.
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Six Inmates Plead Guilty to Possessing Weapons at FCI BeckleyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Six inmates each pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison, the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, in separate incidents.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the following inmates each admitted to possessing a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” at FCI Beckley on the following dates:
- Rico Salguero, 40, on December 9, 2022;
- Lawrence Anderson, 27, on December 10, 2022;
- Jamal Brooks, 26, on January 7, 2023;
- Denardo Graham, 32, February 12, 2023;
- Jarvis Burl, 26, on February 22, 2023; and
- John Durant, 34, on April 10, 2023.
Salguero, Brooks, Burl and Durant are scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2023. Anderson and Graham are scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2023. Each 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 District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the cases.
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. 5:23-cr-105 (Salguero), 5:23-cr-106 (Anderson), 5:23-cr-103 (Brooks), 5:23-cr-107 (Graham), 5:23-cr-101 (Burl), and 5:23-cr-102 (Durant).
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Raleigh County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Instrumental Role in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Denise Johnson, 26, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Johnson admitted to her role in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in or around June 2020, Johnson was a native of Philadelphia living in West Virginia when she introduced her friends and acquaintances in the Beckley area to a group of Philadelphia-based firearms traffickers led by Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh.” From in or around June 2020 to in or around July 2021, Jones and his co-conspirators obtained firearms bought by straw purchasers in the Beckley area that they took back to Philadelphia to sell for profit.
Johnson participated in the conspiracy throughout its duration, helping to organize and recruit straw purchasers who bought the firearms trafficked by Jones’ ring. Jones or an intermediary told the straw purchasers which firearms to buy and provided the money for the purchases. Johnson admitted that she knew the recruited straw purchasers would falsely certify on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that they were purchasing the firearms for themselves when they knew they were buying them for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy.
Of the over 140 firearms trafficked by Jones and his ring to Philadelphia, over 50 were recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia. Those have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.
Johnson is among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. After five days of trial, a federal jury found Jones guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is awaiting sentencing and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Philadelphia Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew 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. 5:22-cr-46.
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Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kimberly Dawn Legg, 49, of Charleston, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Legg admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for several months prior to December 5, 2022, Legg sold quantities of methamphetamine obtained from a supplier who usually delivered the methamphetamine directly to her Lotus Drive residence in Charleston. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted to handling the money when selling the methamphetamine to customers while co-defendant Larry Wayne Legg typically weighed out the amounts. Kimberly Dawn Legg further admitted that the supplier usually provided the methamphetamine without requiring full payment, with the understanding that he would be paid from the individual sale proceeds.
On December 4, 2022, the supplier delivered approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to Kimberly Dawn Legg’s residence. The next day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence and found the methamphetamine. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted that she and Larry Wayne Legg intended to sell the seized methamphetamine.
Larry Wayne Legg, 55, of Charleston, was sentenced to five years in prison on July 6, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Kimberly Dawn Legg and Larry Wayne Legg are among 30 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 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.
Eighteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent 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-4.
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Nicholas County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shawn K. Bever, 45, of Craigsville, was sentenced to one year and three 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 November 17, 2021, law enforcement officers investigating the illegal shooting of a bear encountered Bever outside his Craigsville residence. Officers saw an ATI .22-caliber pistol in Bever’s side-by-side all-terrain vehicle, parked on the property. Winchester .22-caliber ammunition was recovered from Bever’s pants pocket. Bever admitted to possessing the firearm and ammunition.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bever was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Nicholas County Circuit Court on November 14, 2011.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Police and the assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Lesley C. Shamblin 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-164.
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Michigan Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Darrell Lamar Holcomb, also known as “Smiley,” 31, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and Nicole Christian Ball, 44, of Jackson, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Holcomb also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl,
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning approximately in or before 2019, Holcomb began supplying controlled substances including methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana to an individual living in the Oak Hill area of West Virginia. Holcomb or a courier would transport the controlled substances to the individual from the Detroit, Michigan area approximately once or twice per month. Holcomb usually provided the controlled substances on consignment, accepting payment after the individual sold them. Holcomb also provided cell phones to the individual that he was to use only to communicate with Holcomb.
In early December 2021, Holcomb negotiated with the individual to sell him approximately 5 pounds of methamphetamine and 3 kilograms of fentanyl along with approximately 2 kilograms of a cutting agent to mix with the fentanyl and increase the sellable amount. The individual was required to pay Holcomb $60,000 from a prior shipment as part of this drug deal.
Ball admitted that she was the courier for this transaction, delivering what she now knows was methamphetamine, fentanyl and the cutting agent to the individual in the Pea Ridge Road area of Oak Hill on December 12, 2021. Ball further admitted to taking what she believed to be $60,000 packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic from the individual. Law enforcement officers stopped Ball’s vehicle following the transaction and seized the money.
Holcomb and Ball are scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, 2023, and each 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.
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. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks 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. 2:22-cr-216.
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Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tonja Oakes, 58, of Cross Lanes, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, admitting to defrauding the American Red Cross (ARC) while employed at its Cross Lanes office. Oakes agreed to pay of $21,943 in restitution as a consequence of her guilty plea.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the ARC hired Oakes in 2015 as a business operations specialist, and her duties included acting as the purchasing agent for the ARC Central Appalachian Region. On March 9, 2019, Oakes began working as the executive assistance to the chief executive officer of the ARC Central Appalachian Region. Among her duties in that position, Oakes reviewed monthly statements of credit cards issued by ARC to certain employees and approved the statements for payment. This position allowed Oakes to review and approve her own expenditures.
Oakes admitted to making multiple unauthorized purchases with ARC-provided credit cards from at least February 17, 2017 through at least October 5, 2020. Oakes further admitted that the unauthorized transactions included a $973.77 payment for servicing a 2011 Kia Sorento on June 8, 2020. Other unauthorized purchases by Oakes included buying items while on vacation in South Carolina, groceries, and personal items purchased on Amazon. Oakes admitted that she used her employment position to review and approve her credit card statements, even though she knew many of the payments were unauthorized.
Oakes is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2023, 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 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell 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-67.
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Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Imeesha Bradley, 27, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to receipt of stolen money. Bradley admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $18,703 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, on April 21, 2021, Bradley applied for a PPP loan for her purported business, “Imeesha Bradley.” Bradley admitted that “Imeesha Bradley” was never engaged in legitimate business activity and was not a registered business entity at the time she applied for the loan. Bradley further admitted that she falsely represented that her fictitious business received $89,772 in gross income during 2020.
The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses applying for PPP loans had to certify that the business was in operation on February 15, 2020, and were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.
A California lender approved Bradley’s fraudulent PPP loan application for $18,703, and transferred the funds to Bradley’s personal bank account on May 10, 2021. Bradley admitted that she withdrew $5,000 of the stolen funds that day and an additional $7,000 on May 14, 2021, each time from a bank branch in Nitro, West Virginia.
Bradley is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,00 fine. Bradley also owes $18,703 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell 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. 2:23-cr-112.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Kennedy, 42, of St. Albans, 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 June 30, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a report of shots fired on Leon Sullivan Way in Charleston. Officers found a bullet hole at the entrance of Jet Life Apparel and obtained a search warrant for the store’s video surveillance system. The video surveillance footage showed two firearms inside the store, a Dickinson model XXPA 12-gauge shotgun and a Smith & Wesson model M&P 15 5.56-caliber rifle. The video surveillance footage also showed Kennedy running across the store while holding the shotgun following an altercation outside.
Officers recovered both firearms from a vehicle in an alley near Jet Life Apparel. Each firearm was loaded with a high-capacity drum magazine.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Kennedy knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony convictions for interstate travel in aid of drug trafficking and use of a communication facility in furtherance of an unlawful act in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 3, 2014.
The video surveillance footage also showed Jamon L. Woodson, 40, of Dunbar, firing a pistol in the direction of Jet Life Apparel during the altercation outside the store and Kevin Gerard Denson, 36, of Charleston, carrying both firearms inside the store afterward. Woodson was sentenced to five years in prison on July 20, 2023, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Denson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on October 12, 2022, and is awaiting sentencing.
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 Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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. 2:22-cr-145.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – George Michael Thayer, 52, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to four years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 24, 2022, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Thayer. The officer searched the vehicle and found approximately 12 oxycodone pills, multiple empty sandwich bags and a set of digital scales. Thayer admitted that he possessed the oxycodone found during the vehicle search and further admitted that he intended to distribute it. The Court also found that Thayer possessed and intended to distribute approximately 48 grams of methamphetamine, 1.8 grams of fentanyl, and 45 clonazepam pills.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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. 3:22-cr-70.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shawn Michael Patton, 47, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 13, 2022, Patton sold 2 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on the front porch of his Park Drive residence in Dunbar in exchange for $700.
On February 9, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Patton’s residence and seized approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine from a bedroom chair and a total of $14,572.
Law enforcement officers executed another search warrant at Patton’s residence on September 20, 2022, and seized approximately 287 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms and $554.
On October 5, 2022, Patton was arrested by law enforcement officers and consented to a search of his residence. Officers seized approximately 25 grams of heroin, 379 grams of marijuana and $2,315.
Patton is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2023, 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 Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston 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. 2:22-cr-212.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Mark Bolling, 55, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and illegal possession of a firearm silencer.
A federal jury convicted Bolling of the charges on February 16, 2023, following a three-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that on September 19, 2020, a law enforcement officer in Fayette County conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Bolling and recovered approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of fentanyl, a pistol magazine containing .45-caliber ammunition, and $7,000 from the vehicle.
On September 21, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bolling’s property on Keystone Drive in Charleston and seized a Rock River Arms, model LAR-15, 5.56mm rifle, a Bryco Arms, model 38, .380-caliber pistol, and a Gemtech, Model HALO, 5.56mm silencer.
The silencer was not registered to Bolling in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bolling was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions including possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine on September 30, 2019, and transferring and receiving stolen property on September 24, 2018, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Bolling’s long criminal history also includes prior convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, domestic battery, two separate violations of protective orders, battery of an officer, possession of a controlled substance, first-degree burglary and vehicle theft.
“This defendant has persistently committed felonies throughout the majority of his adult life, and his continuing involvement in criminal activity and his possession of firearms pose a risk to public safety,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Fayetteville Police Department for their excellent work in this case. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrch and Steve Loew and our trial team for securing guilty verdicts on five counts in this case.”
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence.
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. 2:21-cr-87.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Toby Lee Graley, 60, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since at least June 2022, Graley conspired with several other people to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Graley admitted to obtaining methamphetamine and fentanyl from his supplier and distributed the controlled substances to customers at his Lumari Lane residence in Charleston and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Graley further admitted to arranging drug-related transactions on his cell phone with his supplier and customers. Graley also admitted that he knew several of his customers would redistribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl he sold them.
Graley is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2023, 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 U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and J.C. MacCallum are prosecuting the case.
The case is a result of “Operation Into The Woods,” a 10-month investigation of drug trafficking in Kanawha and Boone counties. Graley and several other individuals have been indicted, and law enforcement seized 120 grams of methamphetamine, four shotguns, and approximately $23,150 from Graley when he was arrested. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF 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. Today, 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-44.
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United States Attorney’s Office to Participate in National Night OutRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia will join community organizers, neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, United States Attorney Will Thompson announced. During this year’s National Night Out, the office will participate in the community event scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Ritter Park Fountain Plaza in Huntington.
Additional National Night Out events are scheduled throughout the Southern District of West Virginia, including Beckley, Charleston, Dunbar, Parkersburg, and Whitesville.
“National Night Out strengthens the connections between our communities and the men and women of law enforcement who serve them,” Thompson said. “These events offer an excellent opportunity to promote awareness and prevention, and I commend our state and local law enforcement partners for their commitment to support this annual initiative.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
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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Mercer County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIED, W.Va. – Eric Shawn Phillips, 43, of Princeton, pleaded guilty today to enticement of a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about April 19, 2021, to on or about February 17, 2022, Phillips persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor female to engage in sexual activity with him. Phillips admitted that his criminal conduct included sending numerous sexually explicit messages to the minor female via text messaging and social media messaging apps.
Phillips is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13, 2023. Phillips and the United States Attorney’s Office have agreed that a sentence of 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release is the appropriate punishment for his crimes. Phillips must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Alex Redmon are prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and 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. 1:22-cr-194.
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Greenbrier County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Arica L. Anderson, 37, of Lewisburg, was sentenced today to one year and four 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 January 2, 2022, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in the Pickaway area of Monroe County in which Anderson was a passenger. The officer saw Anderson try to conceal an Acier Comprime, .25-caliber pistol. Anderson admitted to possessing the firearm.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Anderson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of her prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit a felony offense: robbery in the first degree, in Monroe County Circuit Court on September 16, 2013.
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 West Virginia State Police.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. 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. 1:22-cr-104.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Damon Shawn Bailes Jr., also known as “Paper,” 31, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Bailes in the area of 19th Street and Rural Road in Huntington on a warrant for a parole violation. Officers found 76 grams of fentanyl, $365 and a loaded SIG Sauer SP2022 handgun on Bailes’ person. Bailes admitted that he possessed the fentanyl and intended to sell it.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), 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 Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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. 3:22-cr-114.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kristopher D. Thomas, also known as “Rio,” 22, of Detroit Michigan, was sentenced today to one year and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Oct. 14, 2021, Thomas sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant at an Amigo residence where Thomas was staying in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Thomas admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling fentanyl to a confidential informant in Daniels, Raleigh County, on April 12 and April 22, 2021. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substances from all three transactions contained fentanyl.
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. 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 District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The case is a result of “Operation Wolverine Carousel,” a months-long investigation into the widespread distribution of heroin and fentanyl in Raleigh and Fayette counties.
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-28.
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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offense Against A MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kyle Andrew Umstead, 35, of Douglasville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2023, Umstead traveled from Douglasville, Pennsylvania, to Kanawha County, West Virginia, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Umstead was arrested by law enforcement officers in Kanawha County. Following his arrest, officers found videos and images of child pornography on Umstead’s cell phone.
Umstead is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Umstead must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
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 prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and 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-47.
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New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Theft of Federal Grant FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aleksey Krylov, 42, of South Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting theft from programs receiving federal funds. Krylov admitted to diverting $94,197.93 in federal abandoned mine land (AML) remediation sub-grant funds to Jerry D. Elkins, 54, of Danville, West Virginia, while Elkins was an employee of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about April 2017 until on or about August 7, 2019, Elkins assisted Krylov and one of his companies with their application for a DEP AML pilot program sub-grant. The DEP receives grant funding from the United States Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) for, among other purposes, accelerating the remediation of eligible sites for economic revitalization and community development purposes under the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program.
Since 2016, West Virginia has received $181 million in AMLER block grant funds. Numerous private entities apply to receive AML sub-grants, and the process for selecting projects to receive sub-grant awards is competitive.
Elkins was initially a regional planner and later an inspector for the DEP during the time period, and had become acquainted with Krylov prior to joining the DEP. Krylov and his company proposed to construct and operate an aquaponics facility that would produce commercial quantities of vegetables and fruits at a project site near Madison, West Virginia. To assist Krylov and his company, Elkins collected water samples, provided contacts for public support, boosted Krylov’s project internally at DEP, provided his opinion and suggestions for improving the sub-grant application, and continuously monitored the application’s status.
Krylov admitted to paying Elkins for his services with checks and electronic fund transfers drawn from federal sub-grant disbursements totaling $94,197.93. Krylov further admitted that Elkins had no right to receive these funds and that he aided and abetted Elkins’ actions in fraudulently obtaining the $94,197.93.
Krylov is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Krylov also owes $94,197.93 in restitution. Elkins pleaded guilty to theft from programs receiving federal funds on My 31, 2023, and is awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General- Office of Investigations, and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson is prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson made significant contributions to the prosecution.
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-99.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Randell Lee Proctor, 44, of Belle, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 29, 2022, Proctor possessed a Hi-Point, model C9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the Rand area of Kanawha County.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Proctor knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior convictions for domestic battery on September 15, 2016, November 26, 2013, January 24, 2005 and September 24, 2002, all in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
Proctor is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger 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-74.
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Charleston Man and Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Kenneth Desaun Hayway, 38, of Charleston, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and Hannah Elizabeth Barbee, 30, of Charleston, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Hayway and Barbee were sentenced for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hayway sold fentanyl to a confidential informant asking to purchase heroin on August 15, 2022, and August 19, 2022, in Charleston. Hayway further admitted to organizing the sale of fentanyl with Barbee and co-defendant Khalif Marquee Coleman to a confidential informant seeking heroin on August 19, 2022, at Barbee’s Chesterfield Avenue residence in Charleston.
Barbee admitted to selling fentanyl to a confidential informant seeking heroin on six occasions between August 5, 2022, and September 27, 2022, at her Chesterfield Avenue residence. On September 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Barbee’s residence and found mixtures containing fentanyl totaling 55.97 grams, scales, drug packaging materials, and $5,926. Some of the cash recovered during the search was prerecorded buy money from the sales to confidential informants.
Coleman, 35, of Charleston, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison on July 20, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White 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-198.
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Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offense Against A MinorRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jon Pieter Vanbreemen, 41, of Low Moor, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 9, 2023, Vanbreemen traveled from Covington, Virginia, to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, with the intention of engaging in illicit sexual contact with two minor girls. He was arrested by law enforcement in White Sulphur Springs.
Vanbreemen is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Vanbreemen must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Francesca C. Rollo and Jennifer Rada Herrald are prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and 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. 5:23-cr-91.
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Nicholas County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jolene Myers, 41, of Mount Nebo, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 19, 2022, Myers sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant outside of a Summersville-area business. Myers admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling methamphetamine to the confidential informant on three other occasions in Nicholas County.
On April 9, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Myers on Mount Lookout Road in Nicholas County. Myers admitted that officers found a quantity of methamphetamine in her pants and a SCCY Model CPX-1, 9mm pistol in her purse when they searched her and the vehicle.
Myers is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, 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 Central West Virginia Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger 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-53.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jamon L. Woodson, 40, of Dunbar, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of ammunition in connection with a shooting outside a Charleston business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on the afternoon of June 30, 2022, Woodson had stopped his vehicle outside Jet Life Apparel on Leon Sullivan Way in Charleston and fired a pistol in the direction of the store. Following the shooting, law enforcement officers recovered a 9mm shell casing from the street and found a bullet hole at the entrance to Jet Life Apparel.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Woodson knew he was prohibited from possessing ammunition because of his felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and a quantity of marijuana in United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on January 7, 2011.
Following the shooting, officers obtained a search warrant for Jet Life Apparel’s video surveillance system. The video surveillance footage showed Jonathan Kennedy, 41, of St. Albans, carrying a Dickinson, model XXPA, 12-gauge shotgun at the time of the altercation with Woodson and Kevin Gerard Denson, 36, of Charleston, carrying both a Smith & Wesson, model M&P 15, 5.56-caliber rifle and the Dickinson shotgun after the shooting. Officers recovered both firearms from a vehicle in an alley near Jet Life Apparel. Each firearm was loaded with a high-capacity drum magazine. Denson and Kennedy previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and are awaiting sentencing.
The United States sought an upward variance from Woodson’s original sentencing range because of his criminal history and his extremely dangerous actions in broad daylight on a downtown Charleston street. Woodson had completed his supervised release for the 2011 felony drug conviction two months before the shooting incident. The Court granted an upward variance, concluding that it was necessary to protect the public.
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 Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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. 2:22-cr-183.
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Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dana Michael Russell, also known as “Anthony Roberts,” 37, of Griffithsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for possession of prepubescent child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 20, 2021, Russell possessed two images of child pornography on his cell phone depicting prepubescent minor females subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Russell admitted that one of the images depicted a known child victim.
Russell further admitted to using his cell phone on June 25, 2020, to distribute and attempt to distribute an image containing child pornography using the Snapchat social media platform. Russell also admitted to distributing images containing child pornography using multiple Snapchat and Facebook accounts in June, August and December 2020. One of the Facebook accounts that Russell used listed “Anthony Roberts” as the account username.
Russell is a registered sex offender as a result of his conviction for distribution and exhibiting of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in Kanawha County Circuit Court on February 19, 2015.
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 West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and 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. 2:22-cr-25.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Khalif Marquee Coleman, 35, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Coleman admitted to arranging the sales of mixtures containing fentanyl to confidential informants asking to purchase heroin in Charleston in seven separate transactions between May 2, 2022, and September 23, 2022. Several of these transactions occurred at a Chesterfield Avenue residence in Charleston and the mixtures totaled approximately 92.64 grams.
Coleman also admitted to arranging seven additional sales of mixtures containing fentanyl in August and September, 2022, at or near the Chesterfield Avenue residence.
On September 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Chesterfield Avenue residence and found mixtures containing fentanyl totaling 55.97 grams, scales, drug packaging materials, and $5,926. Some of the cash recovered during the search was prerecorded buy money from the sales to the confidential informants.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White 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-198.
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U.S. Attorney Thompson Announces Human Trafficking Training Initiative for Educators and Social WorkersRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson joined with West Virginia education and human services leaders and federal law enforcement partners today to announce new training tools to help better identify and report human trafficking and rescue child victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office partnered with the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice to develop training videos specifically for teachers and child protective services workers. The training focuses on the risk factors and vulnerabilities of human trafficking, identifies red flags for human trafficking, and provides ways to respond to suspected human trafficking.
“One thing has really stood out to me when I’ve talked to the victims in the cases we’ve prosecuted: they all say, ‘I wish somebody had realized this sooner,’” Thompson said. “That person who realizes something sooner could be a teacher, it could be a CPS worker, it could be a Little League coach. It could be someone in the community who recognizes it and makes the report.”
Thompson cited grim national statistics that have helped prompt this approach. More than 80 percent of trafficking victims under the age of 10 are trafficked by a family member. More than half of minor victims of human trafficking attend school while being trafficked. Two-thirds of human trafficking victims have been involved in the juvenile justice or foster care system.
“The overall goal is to call attention to human trafficking and share ways we can address it in West Virginia,” Thompson said. “This training will help these professionals as well as anyone in the community recognize human trafficking and know what to do when they recognize it. Some of this, they already know. Some of this is common sense. But if we can save one child from this, if we can get one victim out, it’s worth it and I hope we do a lot more than that.”
Thompson thanked the additional partners supporting this training initiative, who include the West Virginia Board of Education, the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the West Virginia Fusion Center.
The videos are available through the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice and its Handle With Care program (http://www.handlewithcarewv.org).
- Training video for schools: https://vimeo.com/845303381
- Training video for CPS: https://vimeo.com/845301913
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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U.S. Attorney Thompson to Announce Human Trafficking Training Initiative for Educators and Social WorkersRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will hold a press conference on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at 10 a.m. at the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse to announce new training tools to help better identify and report human trafficking and rescue child victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office partnered with the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice to create training videos specifically for teachers and child protective services workers. Leaders from those organizations will join Thompson for the announcement along with officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Board of Education, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, the West Virginia Fusion Center, and Cabell, Kanawha, Mercer and Wayne county schools.
WHAT: Announcement of new human trafficking training initiative
WHEN: Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, 300 Virginia Street East, Charleston.
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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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – David Jefferson Womack, 45, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 16, 2022, Womack stole a Kel-Tec, model P-32, .32-caliber pistol from a Kanawha County pawn shop. Womack admitted to the theft when he was arrested by law enforcement officers on April 4, 2023.
Womack is scheduled to be sentenced on October 18, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 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 St. Albans 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-45.
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