Southern District of West Virginia

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – David Lee Pinson, 41, of Ceredo, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Pinson admitted to uploading several images and videos of child pornography to his Google Photos account on May 28, 2022, in Ceredo. One of the videos depicts a prepubescent boy and girl engaging in sexual intercourse and sexually explicit conduct.

Pinson further admitted to possessing six images and 332 videos of child pornography on a memory card on August 16, 2022, and to viewing the images using his cell phone. Pinson also admitted that 44 of the images and videos depict known child victims, and that some of the images depict infants and toddlers.

Pinson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 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. Pinson is a registered sex offender as a result of his conviction for possession of child erotica in Wayne County Circuit Court on August 20, 2020.

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).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers 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. 3:22-cr-173. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – William Howard Gregory, 73, of Scott Depot, pleaded guilty today to knowingly and fraudulently making a false declaration in a bankruptcy case.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 1, 2018, Gregory filed false documents in his bankruptcy case that failed to disclose the existence of five life insurance policies with the collective surrender value of approximately $235,000. Gregory admitted that he knew he was required to disclose the existence of his policies and chose not to disclose them.

Gregory is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The U.S. Trustee’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The United States Trustee Program is the component of the Department of Justice that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage 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-95. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Latesha Lashae Nappier, 29, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Nappier admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Nappier admitted to conspiring with others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl between November 2022 and March 22, 2023. Nappier lived with one of her co-defendants in Charleston during that time. Nappier admitted that this co-defendant had her sell the controlled substances to individuals while he was at work and collect the payments from the sales. Nappier would later give the money to this co-defendant.

On January 30, 2023, Nappier’s co-defendant directed her by phone to sell methamphetamine to a female customer. Nappier admitted to selling approximately 10.5 grams of methamphetamine to the customer as instructed at her residence in exchange for $160.

Nappier is scheduled to be sentenced on October 12, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Nappier 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 has seized of well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.

Ten other co-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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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nathaniel Jarvis Kennard, 39, of South Point, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 12, 2022, Kennard sold approximately 20 grams of fentanyl for $1,000 to a confidential informant at a location on U.S. Route 60 in Huntington. Kennard admitted to that transaction and further admitted to five additional transactions with the confidential informant between July 20 and September 21, 2022. Kennard sold a total of approximately 82 grams of fentanyl, 10 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and 10 grams of methamphetamine during these transactions.

On September 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington residence where Kennard lived. During the search, officers found approximately 96 grams of fentanyl and 274 grams of methamphetamine in a vacant lot across the road from the residence. Kennard admitted that he hid the controlled substances in the vacant lot and intended to distribute them. Kennard told officers that he had distributed controlled substances “off and on” in the Huntington area for at least the previous three years.

Kennard is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 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 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 Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.

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-189. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Anthony Ryan Webb, 42, of Logan County, was sentenced today to three years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Webb admitted to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on May 3, 2021, in Ethel. At the time, Webb was an employee with the United States Postal Service. As a result of his job duties, Webb had access to packages that had been placed in the United States Mail and was responsible for sorting out packages that had been damaged in transit. Webb admitted that he stole approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine from a package which he then sold to the confidential informant.         

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the West Virginia State Police.

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe and Alex Hamner 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-123.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Lorenzo B. Herbert, 33, of Beckley, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and Rory Divaughn Spells, 35, of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and a quantity of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence near Beckley. Officers found quantities of fentanyl, a substance containing methamphetamine and $8,245. Herbert and Spells each admitted that they were mixing and preparing fentanyl for distribution in the residence’s kitchen at the time the search warrant was executed. Herbert and Spells further admitted the cash represented proceeds of previous drug trafficking activity.

Herbert is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. Spells is scheduled to be sentenced on October 27, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

The guilty pleas are the result of a drug trafficking investigation dubbed Southside Take Down. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), FBI Chicago, and the Chicago Police Department.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the cases.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-193 and 5:23-cr-72. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jamal Johnson, 32, of Beckley, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 20, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence and found approximately 832 grams of heroin, 178 grams of methamphetamine, and three firearms: a Colt, model Army Special, .38-caliber revolver; an Eagle Arms, model Eagle-15, multi-caliber rifle; and a Romarm/Cugir, model WASR-10, 7.62-caliber rifle.

Johnson admitted to possessing and intending to sell the heroin and methamphetamine, and to possessing the firearms.

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.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell and Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-13.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Allen Loudermilk, 63, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Loudermilk admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between January and March 2023, Loudermilk was living in the Charleston area and obtaining methamphetamine from a local supplier. Loudermilk’s supplier knew that he was re-distributing at least a portion of the methamphetamine. Loudermilk typically would receive one-half ounce of methamphetamine at a time, but sometimes he would obtain more. Loudermilk admitted that he was responsible for between 200 and 350 grams of methamphetamine in connection with the conspiracy.

Loudermilk is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Loudermilk 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 has seized of well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.

Nine other co-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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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Scott Phalen, 63, of Charleston, was sentenced today to one year 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 July 15, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a report from an employee at a restaurant in the Kanawha City section of Charleston that an individual had placed a firearm in a trash can at the restaurant. Officers recovered a SCCY, model CPX-1, 9mm semi-automatic pistol from the trash can. Phalen admitted to possessing the firearm and further admitted to placing the firearm in the trash can.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Phalen was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for first-degree sexual abuse in Kanawha County Circuit Court on February 14, 2012.

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 Troy D. Adams prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-204.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Thomas D. Manns, 37, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 26, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to a report of shots fired at a Ewart Avenue apartment complex in Beckley and encountered Manns holding what they believed to be a firearm as he ran into a stairway. Officers searched the stairway and found a Mossberg, model 500AT, 12-gauge shotgun in a trash can. Video footage from the apartment complex’s security cameras showed Manns holding the shotgun before he put it in the trash can. Manns admitted to possessing the firearm.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Manns knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Raleigh County Circuit Court on November 29, 2006.

Manns is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 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 Beckley Police Department.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-66. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jessica Horton, 53, of Matewan, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money. Horton admitted to stealing approximately $181,713.58 in United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) survivor’s benefits.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Horton’s great aunt was awarded VA Survivor’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits after the death of her husband in World War II. The great aunt began receiving the monthly benefits on May 1, 1945.

Beginning in or around 1964, the benefits were mailed to the great aunt’s post office box in Matewan. On February 21, 1999, Horton’s great aunt died, and the entitlement to benefits was therefore extinguished. Horton’s mother had access to the post office box. Horton admitted that her great aunt’s name was fraudulently signed on the benefits after the death to allow Horton’s mother to receive the benefits and convert them to her own use.

Horton’s mother fraudulently received the monthly benefits until her death on February 14, 2011. Following her mother’s death, Horton took over the post office box and began signing her great-aunt’s name in order to receive the monthly benefits. Horton admitted that she knew she was not entitled or authorized to sign her great aunt’s name on the benefits.

Horton deposited the benefits in various bank accounts at a Williamson bank where she was an account owner and signatory, and converted the money to her own use. Horton admitted that from around March 2011 until on or around December 31, 2022, she knowingly and willfully took approximately $181,713,58 in VA survivor’s benefits that she was not entitled or authorized to receive. The monthly benefits were terminated by the VA on or around January 12, 2023.

Horton is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,00 fine. Horton also owes $181,713.58 in restitution.

“My grandfather fought in World War II. The theft committed in this case is a slap in the face to those who earn these hard-fought-for benefits,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “That this fraud went on for as long as it did makes it all the more deplorable.”

Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes 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-49. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Isaiah Harley Daniels, 23, of Sissonville, pleaded guilty today to attempted enticement of a minor.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2021 Daniels began communicating online with a 13-year-old girl using the Kik instant messaging app. Daniels admitted to sending the minor female pornographic images while explaining sexual intercourse to her and asking her to “get naked.” Daniels further admitted to initiating several video calls with the minor female in an attempt to watch her masturbate. He also admitted to taking screenshots of some of his conversations with the minor female that he saved on his cell phone.

Daniels admitted to engaging in online conversation that were sexual in nature with other individuals he believed to be children. Daniels pretended to be 17 years old at times so he would appear younger. Several of the individuals that Daniels believed were children sent him images of themselves naked and masturbating.

Daniels admitted that he knowingly possessed 22 images and 297 videos on his cell phone and in his Kik account depicting known minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Daniels is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Daniels 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.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. 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-23. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Quashane R. Varner Jr., 28, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 11 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 17, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a 12th Street apartment in Huntington where Varner was residing and found 362 grams of methamphetamine and a Glock, Model 29, 10mm pistol. Varner admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and the firearm and further admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine.

Varner also admitted that he told investigators on the day of the search that he had previously obtained a 1-pound quantity of methamphetamine, and the amount seized during the search represented what he had not yet sold. Varner admitted to investigators that he had been selling fentanyl in the Huntington area.

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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and 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-72.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Johnte Tyree Warren, 24, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2022, Warren arranged by phone to sell a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant. Warren admitted to meeting the confidential informant in a vehicle on 20th Street in Huntington on that day as arranged and to selling approximately 12.95 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant. Warren further admitted to distributing additional quantities of fentanyl in the Huntington area at various times including February and March 2022, sometimes utilizing another individual to distribute fentanyl on his behalf.

Warren is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 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 Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams 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. 3:23-cr-79. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nigel Jamille Coats, 19, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession of a stolen firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 15, 2022, Brennon Michael Adkins, 22, and TJ Jazz Cremeans, 21, both of Huntington, broke into Tri-State Pawn and Jewelry in Huntington to steal various electronics from the store’s inventory. After entering, Cremeans stole three firearms. Coats admitted that he was in a vehicle with Adkins and Cremeans prior to and following their breaking and entering at the business. Coats further admitted that he possessed one of the stolen firearms, a DPMS, model AR-15, 5.56mm rifle, shortly after the breaking and entering and theft was completed.

Coats is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Adkins pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm on May 1, 2023, and admitted that he possessed another of the stolen firearms, a Stoeger, model M3000, 12-gauge shotgun, following the breaking and entering. Adkins is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14, 2023. The indictment against Cremeans remains pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers 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. 3:22-cr-213. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Fontaine Akeem Nelson, 27, 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 April 8, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a report of a motorist passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle near the West Virginia Capitol Complex. Officers encountered Nelson in the passenger seat of the vehicle along with a loaded .380-caliber model Walther PK380 pistol. Nelson admitted to possessing the firearm.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Nelson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute heroin on September 30, 2021, and attempted burglary and conspiracy to distribute marijuana on July 27, 2018, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston 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-153.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Billy J. Griffith, 57, of St. Albans, today of receipt of child pornography and possession of prepubescent child pornography.

Evidence at trial showed that on August 24, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Griffith’s Baier Street residence. Officers obtained the search warrant for Griffith’s residence after tracing an Internet Protocol (IP) address that had been used to download multiple digital media files of child pornography. Griffith was an auxiliary officer with the St. Albans Police Department as well as an exterminator, and his wife operated a child daycare at the residence.

Officers seized numerous electronic devices during the search of Griffith’s residence, including an external hard drive, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a cell phone. Griffith told officers that the electronic devices were his and that he had sole access to the computers and cell phone through password protections. An analysis found digital media files of child pornography on all four electronic devices, totaling more than 3,000 images and video files.

Griffith is scheduled to be sentenced on September 7, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum  of five years and up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Griffith must also register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney Will Thompson and Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.

“I appreciate the hard work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and our other law enforcement partners in investigating the case and analyzing the evidence,” Thompson said. “My involvement in this trial should show the high priority the office places on cases involving children.”

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the jury trial.

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-218.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After a one-day trial, a federal jury convicted Darrin Alonzo Miller, 41, today of transfer of obscene material to a minor under the age of 16.

Evidence at trial proved that on June 22, 2020, Miller sent a letter through the United States mail to a 14-year-old girl while he was an inmate at the Parkersburg Correctional Center. In the letter, Miller described in graphic detail he and the minor female engaging in sexual intercourse upon his release from incarceration.

Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on September 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

“There can be no tolerance of predatory criminal behavior targeting children,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the West Virginia State Police for investigating this case and Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Francesca C. Rollo as well as our trial team for securing the guilty verdict.”

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the jury trial.

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. 2:21-cr-261.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Valerie A. Angel, 58, of Mount Carbon, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of cocaine and Christopher Lee Miller, 61, of Mount Carbon, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Angel admitted to distributing three packages each containing 3.5 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant at the Mount Carbon residence she shared with Miller on July 11, 2019. Miller admitted to arranging the transaction by telephone earlier that day and accepting $600 from the confidential informant in exchange for the cocaine distributed by Angel.

Angel and Miller further admitted to selling cocaine to the confidential informant on 10 other occasions between July 15, 2019, and October 24, 2019, at their residence. Angel or Miller arranged each of these transactions over the telephone with the confidential informant, and shared the responsibilities and benefits of distributing the cocaine.

Angel and Miler are scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2023, and each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin 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 Nos. 2:23-cr-76 and 2:23-cr-77. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Larry Wayne Meadows, 71, of Shady Spring, was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 21, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Meadows’ residence and found approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine, several grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, and a large assortment of prescription pills. Meadows admitted that he possessed these drugs with the intent to distribute them. Meadows further admitted to possessing four firearms that officers also found inside his residence.

Meadows told officers that he had been distributing about 1 ounce of methamphetamine and 1 ounce of heroin each week for about a year. Meadows’ criminal record includes two prior federal felony convictions for controlled substance offenses.

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 (BRCDVCU).

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-99.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Justin Charles Baker, 35, of Smoot, was sentenced today to one year and one month in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for failure to provide information related to interstate travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents and statements made in court, Baker was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction for sexual battery in Cleveland County, North Carolina, Superior Court on July 19, 2021. The conviction involved sexually inappropriate behavior with a 13-year-old relative. Baker was aware of SORNA’s registration requirements. Within two years of his conviction, Baker failed to comply with those requirements in three different states.

Baker failed to update his registration in North Carolina before moving to Virginia in August 2021. Baker also failed to update his registration in Virginia before moving from Covington, Virginia, to the area of Smoot, West Virginia, in August 2022. Baker resided and worked in West Virginia from August 2022 until November 29, 2022, and failed to register as a sex offender in West Virginia in violation of the requirements of SORNA.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.

SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-226.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kishaun Andre Jones, 23, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 20, 2021, Jones sold a substance containing methamphetamine to a confidential informant near South Kanawha Street in Beckley. Jones admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling methamphetamine to the confidential informant on two other occasions in Raleigh County.

On February 23, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ Beckley residence and found quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin as well as three firearms and $6,445. Jones admitted that intended to distribute the controlled substances.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-64.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Angelo Johnson, 27, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Johnson sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant, while aided and abetted by another, at a Ewart Avenue residence in Beckley. Johnson admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling a quantity of methamphetamine to the confidential informant in Daniels on October 31, 2022.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 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 Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit (BRCDVCU).

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-13. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Raymond Matthew Ramos, 41, of Lewisburg, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 29. 2022, Ramos sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Alderson. Ramos admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling quantities of methamphetamine to the confidential informant on July 6, 2022, in Beaver and on July 27, 2022, in Lewisburg.

On July 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence where Ramos was staying. Officers seized a quantity of methamphetamine, scales and packaging material, and over $1,000. The cash included recorded money from the July 27, 2022, drug transaction. Ramos admitted that he possessed the seized methamphetamine and intended to distribute it. Ramos also admitted to telling law enforcement officers that he distributed a half-pound of methamphetamine weekly between the third week of April 2022 and July 14, 2022.

Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 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 Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force is composed of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lewisburg Police Department.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell and Timothy D. Boggess 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. 5:22-cr-228. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kevin Leon Davis, 33, a federal inmate, pleaded guilty today to escaping from the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) at Beckley.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis was serving a sentence for conspiracy to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine when he left FPC Beckley without permission or authorization on November 13, 2022. The United States Marshals Service captured Davis the following day near the prison.

Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the United States Marshals Service and the Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division (CUFFED) Task Force, and the assistance provided by the West Virginia National Guard.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-36. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Elijah Figg, also known as "Bang," 23, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine, admitting to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO).

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 29, 2020, Figg sold 3 pounds of methamphetamine for $16,500 to an individual in Charleston. Figg admitted to using his mobile device to communicate with the individual to arrange the deal. Figg further admitted that he knew the individual was going to redistribute the methamphetamine.

After the transaction, Figg traveled with four other people to the Beckley area of Raleigh County. Law enforcement officers attempted a traffic stop of the vehicle, and the driver attempted to flee. The pursuit ended when the vehicle struck some utility poles. Officers searched the vehicle and found $18,332 and methamphetamine residue. Figg admitted that the money found included the $16,500 he received from the methamphetamine transaction.

Figg is scheduled to be sentenced on August 31, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Figg participated in a participated in a DTO responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Charleston area. A dozen individuals pleaded guilty in connection with this prosecution, the result of an investigation dubbed “Woo Boyz.” During the course of the nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine, 45 firearms, including an IMI Industries Uzi fully automatic 9mm submachine gun, and more than $375,000 in cash.

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), the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the West Virginia State Police, and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is prosecuting the case.

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 Nos. 2:21-cr-32 and 2:23-cr-88. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terrence Wilson, also known as Terrance Matthew Wilson, 34, of Dunbar, was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a stolen firearm and violating his supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 28, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Wilson’s residence and recovered a stolen, loaded Smith & Wesson .380-caliber pistol and a loaded Glock 22 pistol. Wilson admitted to possessing the firearms and further admitted that he had reasonable cause to believe the Smith & Wesson .380-caliber pistol was stolen when he purchased it.

At the time of this offense, Wilson was serving a term of federal supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on June 9, 2016. Today’s prison sentence includes one year and six months for committing a crime while on supervised release.

Wilson has a long criminal history that also includes prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver alprazolam in Kanawha County Circuit Court on May 3, 2013, and interstate travel in aid of drug trafficking in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on February 5, 2015. The court cited the extensive criminal history and called Wilson a rabid recidivist.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Steve Loew and former Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller 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 Nos. 2:22-cr-3, 2:16-cr-88 and 2:21-cr-257.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Andre Leavell Pardue Jr., 35, of Nitro, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 16, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Pardue’s residence and found a bag of fentanyl and cash in a pair of pants in Pardue’s bedroom, a Smith & Wesson model M&P 9, 9mm pistol under Pardue’s bed, and a safe containing cash, a second bag of fentanyl and a Smith & Wesson, model M&P 40 Shield, .40-caliber pistol.

Pardue admitted to possessing the fentanyl found in his pants. Pardue further admitted that he intended to both sell and use the fentanyl found in the safe. Pardue also admitted that the cash found in his pants and the safe totaled $3,020 and was proceeds from his fentanyl sales, with a portion of the money intended for his drug supplier.

Pardue is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 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) and the invaluable assistance provided by the West Virginia State Police.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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. 2:21-cr-124. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson issued the following statement regarding West Virginia State Police Sgt. Cory Maynard, who was shot and fatally wounded in the line of duty on Friday, June 2, 2023, in Mingo County.  

We join with all West Virginians in grief at the loss of State Police Sgt. Cory Maynard, who was shot and fatally wounded in the line of duty earlier today. Throughout this district, our state and our nation, the men and women of law enforcement put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of us all. Today’s tragedy is a grim reminder of the dangers inherent in that sacred task. Sgt. Maynard proved himself an outstanding example of selfless service and dedication to his community, and we mourn alongside our state and the law enforcement community.

 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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BECKLEY, W.Va. – James Pratt, 31, of Beckley, was sentenced today to four years and nine 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 February 25, 2021, Pratt was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers in Beckley. Officers found a Browning, model Hi-Power, 9mm pistol and $5,385 in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Pratt admitted to possessing the firearm and the money. Pratt further admitted that he possessed the firearm in connection with his drug trafficking activities, which included receiving four or five ounces of heroin and fentanyl per day that he subsequently distributed.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Pratt knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions in Raleigh County Circuit Court for first-degree robbery on August 5, 2010, and child abuse resulting in injury on July 29, 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 Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Andrew D. Isabell 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-106.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – James Edward Cook, 43, of Arnett, was sentenced today to 24 years and four months in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor. Cook must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2021, Cook began communicating with an individual on Facebook he believed to be a 9-year-old girl living in Beckley. Cook admitted that he discussed sexually explicit topics with the minor female, offered to teach her about sex, and encouraged her to take pictures of herself masturbating. Cook further admitted that he explained to the minor female that he wanted to be her first sexual partner and described his intentions in explicit detail using graphic language. Cook promised gifts to the minor female, including a cell phone.

Cook spoke to the minor female twice by telephone. Cook admitted to instructing her to prepare for their sexual intercourse, explaining that it might hurt and telling her to wash her genitals in advance. Cook further admitted that he told the minor female he would make a video of them having sexual intercourse for the first time, and discussed getting the minor female pregnant in the future.

On December 28, 2021, Cook arranged to meet the minor female outside a Raleigh County school. Cook admitted that he coached the minor female on what to tell the driver who would pick her up. Cook obtained a ride from a friend to pick up the minor female at the school. When Cook arrived at the location that evening, he was arrested by law enforcement.

A forensic analysis of Cook’s cell phone and Facebook account revealed multiple conversations in which Cook discussed sexual activities with minor children, including Cook boasting that he had previously engaged in sexual intercourse with children as young as 12.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) West Virginia Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, the West Virginia Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk 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. 5:22-cr-43.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Matthew Jackson, 27, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a weapon by an inmate of a federal prison.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 3, 2022, a FCI Beckley staff member conducted a pat-down search of Jackson and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in Jackson’s underwear. The shank was a piece of metal, approximately 5 inches long, sharpened at one end and with a cloth handle on the other end fashioned from an institution-issued t-shirt. Jackson admitted to possessing the shank, and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-232.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Quordell Tarver, 24, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate of a federal prison.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 22, 2022, an FCI Beckley staff member conducted a visual search of Tarver and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in Tarver’s underwear. The shank was a piece of metal, approximately 5 inches long, sharpened to a point at one end and with a piece of white shoelace wrapped around the base as a handle.

Tarver is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-62. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jerry D. Elkins, 54, of Danville, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to theft from programs receiving federal funds. Elkins admitted to fraudulently obtaining $94,197.93 of federal abandoned mine land (AML) remediation sub-grant funds while employed by 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 an individual, A.K., and his company apply for and obtain an AML sub-grant. Thereafter, Elkins set up a shell limited liability company to receive a portion of the sub-grant award funds and created fraudulent invoices in an attempt to conceal the nature of the payments.

The DEP receives grant funding from the United States Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) for accelerating the remediation of AML sites with economic and community development end uses. Since 2018, West Virginia has received $25 million in AML 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.

On February 21, 2017, the DEP hired Elkins as a regional planner. Elkins’ duties included reporting to the DEP whether certain project proposals being reviewed for AML sub-grant awards were suitable and appropriate for the reclamation of old mining areas. Prior to joining the DEP, Elkins became acquainted with A.K, who resided outside of West Virginia and controlled various corporate entities. Elkins and A.K. had discussed A.K.’s intent to apply to the DEP for AML grants.

In the summer of 2017, A.K. and one of his companies applied for a DEP AML pilot program sub-grant, with a proposal to construct and operate a greenhouse that would produce commercial quantities of vegetables and fruits at a project site near Madison, West Virginia (the Greenhouse Project). Leading up to when A.K. applied for the sub-grant, Elkins agreed to assist A.K. with developing and submitting the Greenhouse Project application. A.K. compensated Elkins for those services.

Between on or about April 2017 and January 12, 2018, while Elkins was employed as a DEP regional planner, Elkins assisted A.K. and his company by collecting water samples, providing contacts for public support, offering his opinion and suggestions for improving the sub-grant application, and continuously monitoring the application’s status. Elkins admitted that he also contacted an individual to write the Greenhouse Project grant proposal for A.K., which was outside the scope of Elkins’ duties as a regional planner. Elkins also provided that individual with edits to the grant proposal. Elkins further admitted to enlisting two other local individuals to work with A.K. and serve as officers in one of A.K.’s companies.

In November 2017, Elkins submitted a report for A.K.’s project site, which was a prerequisite for A.K. to receive federal funds. In December 2017, Elkins told A.K. that Elkins would approve the proposed project site.

Elkins continued to assist A.K. after he was transferred from the regional planner position to construction inspector on January 12, 2018. Elkins’ duties as construction inspector included overseeing the later phases of AML projects, such as construction and earth moving. Elkins admitted that throughout July 2018, he communicated extensively via text messages with A.K. and other individuals associated with the Greenhouse Project about internal DEP deliberations and provided suggestions regarding the sub-grant. Elkins further admitted to pledging to undertake certain actions and make contacts on behalf of A.K.

In August and September 2018, Elkins registered a limited liability company, Wanaque, in Delaware and opened a bank account for Wanaque at a bank in Charleston, West Virginia, in order to receive and obscure payments from A.K. Elkins admitted that Wanaque had no other legitimate business purpose besides receiving funds from A.K. and A.K.’s companies. Elkins further admitted that he directed the creation of a third-party pay-bill account through Bill.com, a cloud-based payments platform, that was used to send invoices from Wanaque to companies under A.K.’s control.

From about October 19, 2018, through about August 7, 2019, Wanaque received $94,197.93 in electronic fund transfers and checks from A.K. and his companies. Elkins admitted that the $94,197.34 originated from the Greenhouse Project’s sub-grant reimbursements from the DEP and were ultimately diverted to him. Elkins further admitted that he had no right to receive those funds and fraudulently converted them to his own use. Elkins also admitted to taking steps to hide, conceal and cover up his activity and the nature and scope of his dealings with A.K. Those steps included failing to list his interest in Wanaque when he signed the federal OSMRE State Employee Statement of Employment and Financial Interest form on February 20, 2019.

Elkins is scheduled to be sentenced on October 12, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Elkins also owes $94,197.93 in restitution.

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, the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

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-78. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Gregory Kincaid, 31, of Cool Ridge, was sentenced today to two years and nine 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 April 7, 2022, law enforcement officers were executing a search warrant at a Cool Ridge residence when Kincaid arrived at the residence in a vehicle. After officers approached the vehicle, Kincaid admitted that he possessed a Smith & Wesson, model M&P Shield, 9mm pistol. Kincaid told officers he had stolen the firearm from his father and had brought it to the residence being searched to sell or trade for money or controlled substances.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Kincaid knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for third-offense driving revoked for DUI in Raleigh County Circuit Court on November 25, 2020.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk 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. 5:22-cr-192.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – David Jeffrey Edwards, 47, of Daniels, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 24, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a warrant at Edwards’ residence in Daniels. Edwards admitted to possessing 19 grams of methamphetamine packaged in nine separate small bags, 1 gram of fentanyl and $958 found during the search. Edwards further admitted that he intended to distribute the controlled substances.

Edwards also admitted to selling a half-gram of fentanyl to a confidential informant at his residence in December 2021. Edwards told officers during the February 24, 2022, search that he had been selling an average of a half-ounce of methamphetamine weekly for several weeks. Officers also found an improvised explosive device during the search, a glass bottle filled with gunpowder, metal spheres, projectiles and other objects with a length of cordage inserted in the bottle opening as a means of ignition. Edwards admitted that he made the improvised explosive device.

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.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk 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. 5:22-cr-125.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nicholas Bradford Confere, 35, of Mammoth, pleaded guilty today to using a communications facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Confere admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 4, 2022, Confere used a land line telephone in Mammoth to arrange the purchase of methamphetamine from a co-defendant. During the call, Confere informed the co-defendant that other third-party individuals also had money to purchase methamphetamine from the co-defendant. The arranged meeting took place and Confere obtained a quantity of methamphetamine from the co-defendant.

Confere admitted that he obtained this methamphetamine partially on consignment, meaning he was expected to pay the co-defendant after he sold the methamphetamine. Confere further admitted to using a cellular phone to inform the co-defendant that he had sold the methamphetamine that he obtained, and therefore had the money to pay the co-defendant. 

Confere is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Confere 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.

Eight other co-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 Nos. 2:23-cr-4 and 2:23-cr-68. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Tyrone Douglas Amar, 46, of Beckley, was sentenced today to four years and seven months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 8, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Beckley hotel room. Officers encountered Amar in the hallway near the hotel room during the search and took him into custody. Amar admitted that he possessed approximately 59 grams of fentanyl, 45 grams of methamphetamine and more than $2,850 found by officers on his person. Amar further admitted that he intended to distribute the controlled substances.

Krystle Elaine Cresce, 34, of Glen Morgan, was staying at the hotel room where officers executed the search warrant. During the search, officers found quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, $917, and three firearms: a SCCY Model CPX-2 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Springfield Armory Model 911 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and a Mossburg, Model 500 12-gauge shotgun. Cresce admitted that she worked with and assisted Amar in the possession and distribution of the heroin and methamphetamine. Cresce pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, and was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison on January 27, 2023.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and Beckley City Police Department.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alex Hamner, Timothy D. Boggess and Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted 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 No. 5:21-cr-265 and 5:23-cr-8.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson joined officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) today to assist law enforcement throughout the Southern District of West Virginia with cutting-edge investigative technology targeting gun violence.

An ATF National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) mobile unit, operated in partnership with HIDTA, deployed to the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office in Beckley and the West Virginia State Police Academy in Dunbar to conduct training for local law enforcement and provide investigative support by analyzing ballistic evidence from gun crimes. The training will aid the ongoing support that NIBIN will provide law enforcement throughout the district.

“With this mobile unit, we can take this valuable technology to our law enforcement partners throughout the Southern District of West Virginia,” Thompson said. “One of the most pressing problems we face not only in this district and this state but in this country is violent crime. The NIBIN mobile unit will help solve and prevent violent crimes.”

NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. ATF maintains and operates NIBIN’s infrastructure at no charge to law enforcement partners.

“Our mission is to protect the public from violent crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division, which includes West Virginia. “ATF and Appalachia HIDTA are committed to bringing necessary federal resources to West Virginia law enforcement to help keep our communities safe.”

The Appalachia HIDTA mission is to enhance and coordinate drug enforcement efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies within areas designated as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas by pursuing the disruption/dismantlement of Drug Trafficking Organizations, particularly as it relates to the specific drug threat of the Appalachian region.

NIBIN technology compares images of submitted ballistic evidence from shooting scenes and recovered firearms and produces a list of possible similar results. Trained NIBIN technicians then conduct a correlation review of these results, identifying NIBIN leads or potential links or associations from the same firearm. A NIBIN lead is an unconfirmed, potential association between two or more pieces of firearm ballistic evidence and is based on a correlation review of the digital images in the NIBIN database.

More than 104,200 investigative leads were generated by 278 NIBIN locations in fiscal year 2022. NIBIN helped investigators connect firearms recovered at crime scenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to gun traffickers who orchestrated the straw purchase of over 140 firearms in the Beckley area. A federal jury convicted conspiracy ringleader Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” 37, of Philadelphia, and 18 co-defendants pleaded guilty to roles in the firearms trafficking conspiracy.

“If there is anything that law enforcement has learned over the past several decades, it is that criminals don’t necessarily operate within a certain area. We need to be able to communicate and collaborate with each other and pool our resources,” said Raleigh County Sheriff J.C. Canaday. “Through these partnerships that we’ve established, like with HIDTA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the ATF, we’re able to more readily track and prosecute more aggressively the criminals involved in both drug and gun crimes.”

NIBIN also matched shell casings recovered from a shooting at a Huntington bar during a 2019 New Year’s Eve party to a firearm seized by Charleston Police officers. The investigation resulted in the conviction of Kymoni Davis for being a felon in possession of a firearm as the admitted shooter. Davis, also known as “Money,” 33, of Redford, Michigan, was sentenced to eight years in prison on December 19, 2022.

Since its launch, the technology behind NIBIN has provided participating law enforcement agencies with an automated method to share, research, identify and cross-reference firearms ballistic data across a nationwide network. NIBIN is only used for criminal investigations and does not capture or store ballistic information acquired at the point of manufacture, importation, or sale.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Blake Parsons, 54, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 2, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Parsons’ residence and seized several electronic devices including Parsons’ cell phone. A forensic analysis of Parsons’ cell phone and cloud backup revealed an extensive history of searching for and viewing child pornography. Over 1,000 images and a video of child pornography were identified. Some of these images depict prepubescent minors, including toddlers, subjected to sexually explicit conduct, as well as bestiality. One image depicts an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent minor female.

Parsons is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime 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).

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Holly Wilson are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-230. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) next week to provide high-tech assistance targeting gun violence to law enforcement agencies throughout the Southern District of West Virginia.

An ATF National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) mobile unit, operated in partnership with Appalachia HIDTA, will deploy on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, to the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office in Beckley and the West Virginia State Police Academy in Dunbar, to conduct training for local law enforcement and provide investigative support by analyzing ballistic evidence from gun crimes. The training will aid the ongoing support that NIBIN will provide law enforcement throughout the district.

NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. ATF maintains and operates NIBIN's infrastructure at no charge to law enforcement partners.

Thompson, ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division, which includes West Virginia, and Appalachia HIDTA Executive Director Vic Brown will hold a press conference with law enforcement officials at each location. A tour and demonstration of the NIBIN mobile unit will follow each press conference.

WHAT: NIBIN mobile unit press conference, tour and demonstration events

WHEN: Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

WHERE:

• 11 a.m.: Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, 308 Ned Payne Drive, Beckley
• 2:30 p.m.: West Virginia State Police Academy, 135 Academy Drive, Dunbar

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brian Gullett, D.O., 46, of Clarksville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to six months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and fined $5,000 for aiding and abetting obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Gullett admitted to unlawful prescription practices at HOPE (Hitech Opioid Pharmachovigilance Expertise) Clinic, a purported pain management clinic that operated in Beckley, Beaver and Charleston, West Virginia, and Wytheville, Virginia.

Gullett also surrendered his medical license and his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) certificate of registration, and agreed not to apply for re-registration to dispense Schedule II controlled substances.

“The criminal conduct in this case exploited and worsened an already devastating opioid crisis,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This office and its law enforcement partners are resolved to bring to justice those who allow greed to outweigh their oaths and duties as health care professionals.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2010 until June 11, 2015, practitioners associated with HOPE Clinic prescribed thousands of oxycodone- and morphine-based pills to individual customers. Some of these prescriptions provided customers with an average of four to seven pills per day. Several HOPE Clinic locations averaged 65 or more customers a day during a 10-hour workday with only one practitioner working.

Gullett admitted to signing multiple oxycodone prescriptions for 120 pills of 30 milligrams each and 30 pills of 15 milligrams each for a HOPE Clinic customer at the Charleston location on March 13, 2013. Gullett further admitted that the customer’s medical chart did not support these prescriptions and that the prescriptions were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional medical practice.

Evidence showed that the customer had multiple failed drug screenings, reported being addicted to pain medication, bought pills on the street, and sold pills from his HOPE Clinic prescriptions to others. Gullett admitted that he did not discuss the possibility of addiction or the need for addiction treatment with the customer.

“Medical professionals who circumvent the rules for prescribing powerful and potentially addictive pain-killers contribute to the opioids crisis facing our nation,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “Our office will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who see addiction as an opportunity for profit.”

Gullett was initially indicted in 2018 along with the owners, managers and other physicians associated with HOPE Clinic and PPPFD. Five other physicians have also pleaded guilty. The remaining defendants are awaiting trial. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the West Virginia State Police, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Beckley Police Department, the Kentucky State Police, the Harrison County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department, and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (AHIDTA).

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Monica Coleman, Steve Loew and Owen Reynolds prosecuted the case.

This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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-167.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert Anthony Thomas, 46, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from about June 1, 2020, through about August 23, 2022, Thomas made over 105,000 digital media files of child pornography available to others by using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Thomas admitted that he knew the digital media files contained child pornography and would be downloaded by others. Thomas further admitted that the digital media files included a video file of a prepubescent female engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

On August 23, 2022, Thomas possessed more than 100 images and 14 videos on his laptop and external hard drive depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Thomas admitted that many of these images and videos depict prepubescent minors, including infants and toddlers. Thomas further admitted that several of the images and videos depict known child victims.

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Thomas 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).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-70. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Doran King Burroughs Jr., 23, of Charleston, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 10, 2022, Burroughs sold approximately 102 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant while outside a Charleston business in the informant’s vehicle. Burroughs admitted to that transaction and to an additional sale of approximately 51 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on May 4, 2022, in the informant’s vehicle in Charleston.

On August 11, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Burroughs’ residence. Burroughs admitted that during the search, officers found approximately 76 grams of fentanyl, a drum magazine loaded with 7.62x39mm ammunition, a Spartan Armor System body armor carrier, and four firearms: a Glock, model 17, 9mm pistol; a PAP, model M92PV, 7.62mm-caliber pistol; a Glock, model 43X, 9mm pistol; and a Bushmaster model xm15-e25, .223-caliber rifle. Burroughs admitted to possessing the firearms and to possessing the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Burroughs knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his conviction for first-degree possession of a controlled substance, first offense, in Boone County, Kentucky, Circuit Court on March 7, 2022.

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).

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston 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. 2:22-cr-172.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Rowdy Lee Randolph, 39, of Leon, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 4, 2020, law enforcement officers searched Randolph’s property in Leon and seized six marijuana plants from his yard and approximately 1.5 pounds of marijuana from his residence. Randolph admitted to growing marijuana on his property and selling it for money.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-150.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Rodney Lee Browne Jr., 31, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute quantities of heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 19, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Fourth Avenue residence in Huntington and seized approximately 1.5 grams of heroin, 68 grams of methamphetamine, 245 grams of marijuana, and 328 grams of fentanyl. Officers also found an AK-47 semiautomatic rifle, drug distribution paraphernalia and $2,075. Browne admitted that he possessed the heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana and intended to sell the controlled substances.

Browne is scheduled to be sentenced on August 28, 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 Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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-64.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dillon Shane Browning, 31, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 22, 2021, Browning sold approximately 13.77 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at his Charleston residence. Browning admitted to that transaction and to selling approximately one-half of an ounce of methamphetamine to the confidential informant at his Charleston residence on March 12, 2021.

After the second transaction, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Browning’s residence and found approximately 233 grams of methamphetamine in an outbuilding. Browning admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and further admitted that he intended to sell it in the Charleston area.

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).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-6.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Todd Tyler Snead, 57, of Waynesboro, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, admitting to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Snead admitted to traveling to St. Albans on March 14, 2023 to obtain approximately 4 pounds of methamphetamine from a co-defendant. Law enforcement officers followed Snead back to a hotel in Cross Lanes, where they searched the trunk of his vehicle, found the methamphetamine and arrested him. Snead had obtained pound-level quantities of methamphetamine from the co-defendant for several months leading up to his arrest. 

Snead is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

Snead 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.

Seven other co-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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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Benjamin Cisco, 30, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to two counts of wire fraud. Cisco admitted to defrauding a charitable nonprofit organization of $871,288.34 intended for suffering West Virginians.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from about March 19, 2020, through about September 28, 2022, Cisco devised and executed his scheme to defraud the charitable non-profit organization while employed as its finance and operations manager in Belle and Charleston. Through his position, Cisco had control over the victim charity’s finances and access to its debit cards, and regularly worked with its accountant. Cisco’s duties included preparing the victim charity’s biweekly payroll, depositing payments into its bank accounts and providing its Board of Directors with updates regarding its finances.

Cisco admitted that his fraud scheme followed a two-step process. First, Cisco electronically transferred money from the victim charity’s debit cards to its account with the Flipcause crowd-funding platform, which recorded those transfers as donations. Second, Cisco electronically transferred money from the victim charity’s Flipcause account to his personal bank account, which he had falsely labeled as belonging to the victim charity.

Cisco admitted that these fraudulent transactions included electronic transfers from the victim charity’s Flipcause account to his personal bank account of $4,724 on January 28, 2022, and $2,874 on May 6, 2022. Both transfers traveled in interstate commerce between Charleston, West Virginia, and California. Cisco further admitted to executing the fraudulent two-step process more than 100 times.

Cisco’s fraudulent scheme specifically caused at least $518,101.70 of loss to the victim charity. Cisco also admitted to defrauding the victim charity of an additional $285,626.64 in travel reimbursements he was not authorized to receive and $67,560 by purchasing gift cards with victim charity funds without authorization. The total loss is $871,288.34.

Cisco is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. He also owes $871,288.34 in restitution.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Holly Wilson and Erik S. Goes are prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson contributed to 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-25. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brandon Ellis Gates, 37, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to 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.

Gates is scheduled to be sentenced on August 24, 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 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), United States Marshals Service and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and J.C. MacCallum 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-146. 

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