Southern District of West Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tytus Lamaar Shields, 34, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Shields admitted to possessing a Ruger, model LC9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in his Parkersburg residence on November 22, 2021.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Shields knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his multiple prior felony convictions, including for trafficking in drugs and engaging in a pattern of criminal activity in the Washington County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas on October 29, 2014.
Shields has a long criminal history that now includes 16 misdemeanor convictions and 17 felony convictions, including several convictions for drug trafficking offenses in Ohio. Shields was under parole supervision as a result of previous felony convictions in Ohio at the time he possessed the firearm. Parole officers searched his residence and found the firearm while arresting Shields on an Ohio warrant on November 22, 2021.
Today’s sentence will run consecutively to a prison sentence that Shields is currently serving out of Washington County, Ohio.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force, the Parkersburg Police Department, the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-268.
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Parkersburg Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Mary Elizabeth Curran, 37, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 27, 2021, Curran obtained a quantity of fentanyl in Columbus, Ohio, which she intended to distribute in the Parkersburg area. On that date, Curran was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement officers after it entered Wood County from Ohio. Officers suspected that Curran was hiding controlled substances on her person, and she was transported to the North Central Regional Jail for an X-ray body scan.
While awaiting the body scan, Curran clogged a bathroom toilet when she attempted to flush two plastic bags containing powder. The toilet was taken apart and the bags were recovered. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed one bag contained approximately 56 grams of fentanyl and the other bag contained approximately 28.5 grams of a separate controlled substance. The lab also found Curran’s DNA on one bag, and her fingerprint on the other.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-136.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Richard Chapman, 43, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempted distribution of child pornography. Chapman must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from about June 5, 2021, until June 30, 2022, Chapman used a peer-to-peer file sharing program to make 704 digital media files of suspected child pornography available to others. Chapman admitted that the digital media files included an image depicting a prepubescent minor female subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Chapman further admitted to possessing 91 images of child pornography on his personal electronic devices on August 11, 2022. The child pornography included several images and videos depicting infants and toddlers subjected to sexually explicit conduct.
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., imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-174.
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Two Men Plead Guilty to Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two out-of-state men pleaded guilty today to charges arising from the January 5, 2022, raid on a Huntington storage unit.
Phillip Antoine Rucker, also known as “Chocolate,” 43, of Proctorville, Ohio, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Marshall Luther Williams, also known as “Chuck” and “Chubs,” 41, of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 5, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Rucker on an active warrant at a Riverside Drive storage facility in Huntington. Officers found approximately $5,080 and a Taurus, Model Spectrum, .380-caliber pistol in Rucker’s vehicle and seized a key for a unit at the storage facility from Rucker.
Officers obtained a search warrant for the unit, where they found approximately 42.24 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, 27.92 grams of methamphetamine, 929 grams of a purple powder, a Glock 9mm pistol, and $8,591.
Rucker and Williams each admitted to renting the storage unit and keeping controlled substance there for distribution. Rucker and Williams further admitted that the purple powder found during the search was intended to cut or be mixed with the fentanyl prior to distribution.
Rucker and Williams are scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2023, and face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the 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 Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-34.
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Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Damon Shawn Bailes Jr., also known as “Paper,” 31, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Bailes in the area of 19th Street and Rural Road in Huntington on a warrant for a parole violation. Officers found 76 grams of fentanyl, $365 and a loaded SIG Sauer SP2022 handgun on Bailes’ person. Bailes admitted that he possessed the fentanyl and intended to sell it.
Bailes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans 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-114.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Billy Eggleston, 50, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 26, 2020, Eggleston induced a prepubescent minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of photographing such conduct. Eggleston admitted to using his cell phone to take a series of 24 photos of him engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the minor. The sexually explicit photos were taken by Eggleston in his bedroom.
Eggleston transferred the images to his desktop computer. Eggleston admitted to possessing nearly 5,000 videos and images of child pornography on his desktop computer and a memory card on October 21, 2022. Eggleston further admitted that one of these images was of an adult male sexually assaulting a minor female between four and seven years old, and another image was of a minor female between two and four years old subjected to sexually explicit conduct by an adult male.
Eggleston is scheduled to be sentenced on August 3, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Eggleston must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police and the St. Albans Police Department, and the assistance provided by the Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) Children’s Advocacy Center.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-3.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Zachary Scott Whitmore, 32, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 19, 2022, Whitmore sold 7 grams of suspected heroin to a confidential informant near 25th Street in Huntington for $700. Whitmore also admitted to arranging the sale of 7 grams of suspected heroin to a confidential informant at a 9th Avenue residence in Huntington on October 24, 2022.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substances from both transactions was fentanyl.
Whitmore is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 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 District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-1.
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Two Men Sentenced for Mercer County Arson SchemeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Scott Meadows, 53, of Welch, and Christopher Gross, 45, of Bluefield, Virginia, were sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud. Each admitted to a role in an arson fraud scheme, and was also ordered to pay $13,140 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 1, 2019, co-defendant Douglas Vineyard bought a house on Princeton Avenue in Bluefield, West Virginia, for $5,000 at the direction of Gross. On July 31, 2019, Vineyard bought an insurance policy on the house with assistance from Gross, stating that the house’s purchase price had been $50,000. The insurance coverage included $285,500 for the dwelling, $142,750 for the contents and $14,275 for other structures.
In early August 2019, Vineyard, Gross and Meadows devised a scheme with others to burn down the house and collect the insurance proceeds. On August 6, 2019, Meadows set fire to the house with the help of two other individuals who were each offered $500 for their assistance. The house was a total loss. On August 16, 2019, Vineyard faxed a Sworn Statement of Proof of Loss seeking $285,500 in insurance proceeds for the house. The insurance company spent over $13,000 investigating Vineyard’s false claim, ultimately denying it.
Vineyard, 37, of Welch, was sentenced on September 12, 2022, to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-131.
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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Quashane R. Varner Jr., 27, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to 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 further admitted to investigators that he had been selling fentanyl in the Huntington area.
Varner is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-72.
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Mercer County Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Jermaine Antwon Jones, 34, of Bluefield, was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 11, 2022, Jones sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Bluefield. Jones admitted to selling the fentanyl as well as quantities of fentanyl and cocaine to the same confidential informant on two other occasions in Mercer County around the same time period.
On January 19, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence and found approximately 15 grams of fentanyl and 7.94 grams of cocaine. Jones admitted that he planned to distribute the controlled substances.
Jones was previously convicted of distributing cocaine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 4, 2018. Jones was sentenced today to two years in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release for that conviction, to run concurrently with today’s five-year, 10-month sentence.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-200.
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Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Courtney Michelle McComas, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 24,2021, McComas sold approximately 1.63 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in a vehicle at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Richmond Street in Huntington.
McComas admitted to that transaction and also admitted to selling approximately 2 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant on November 16, 2021, in Huntington. On November 19, 2021, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at an Oney Avenue residence and of a vehicle in Huntington. McComas admitted to possessing the approximately 41 grams of fentanyl found by officers during the searches, and further admitted that she intended to distribute the fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-58.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kilan Nicks, also known as “Low,” 26, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2022, Nicks sold approximately 4 grams of fentanyl and 29 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Roby Road apartment in Huntington. On June 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a McVeigh Avenue residence in Huntington while Nicks was present. Nicks admitted to possessing a Taurus 9mm pistol and approximately $3,635 found during the search. Nicks further admitted that the firearm was for his protection and the cash was proceeds from his distribution of drugs.
Nicks also admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area from February 2022 until around June 2022. Nicks traveled to California and Arizona and acquired methamphetamine and fentanyl that he transported back to the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution as part of the conspiracy. Nicks maintained the Roby Road apartment and an 18th Street residence to store and distribute the drugs. Nicks further admitted to selling a total of 37.5 grams of fentanyl and 200 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the Huntington area over 10 separate transactions during the conspiracy.
On June 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the 18th Street residence and a residence in Chesapeake, Ohio. Nicks admitted to possessing 690.71 grams of fentanyl and a Radical Firearms, M4 5.56mm rifle seized at the 18th Street residence, and to possessing a Masterpiece Arms, Defender 9mm pistol, and a blender containing fentanyl residue seized at the Chesapeake residence.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-118.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Larry Wayne Legg, 55, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Legg admitted to obtaining quantities of methamphetamine from co-defendant Justin Allen Bowen over several months prior to December 5, 2022. Legg further admitted to selling the methamphetamine with co-defendant Kimberly Dawn Legg out of their Lotus Drive residence in Charleston. Larry Wayne Legg would typically weigh the methamphetamine for individual sales and Kimberly Dawn Legg would handle the money. The two shared a cell phone to arrange obtaining additional quantities of methamphetamine from Bowen.
On December 5, 2022, law enforcement officers searched the Lotus Drive residence and found approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine. Larry Wayne Legg admitted to receiving the methamphetamine from Bowen and further admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine with Kimberly Dawn Legg.
Larry Wayne Legg is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Bowen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on February 23, 2023. Bowen and Larry Wayne Legg were indicted along with Kimberly Dawn Legg, Jasper Wemh, Richard Allen Bowen, McKenzie Bowen, Nicholas Bradford Confere, and Stanley Aaron Burkes. The remaining defendants are scheduled for trial on April 25, 2023. 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 Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Charleston Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe and Nowles Heinrich are 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 No. 2:23-cr-4.
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West Virginia Straw Purchaser Sentenced for Role in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Brandon Lawson, 33 of Oak Hill, was sentenced today to 18 months of incarceration, including nine months in prison and nine months on home detention with electronic monitoring, to be followed by three years of supervised release for transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident. Lawson admitted to a role in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lawson admitted to transferring a Ruger, Model LC9S, 9mm pistol to trafficking conspiracy ringleader Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” in Beckley on March 11, 2021. Lawson further admitted to aiding and abetting his spouse, Megan Bickford, 34, of Oak Hill, in the illegal purchase of firearms for the trafficking conspiracy during 2020 and 2021.
The trafficking conspirators recruited Bickford and other straw purchasers from within the Southern District of West Virginia. Jones or an intermediary told the straw purchasers which firearms to buy and provided the money for the purchases. Of the over 140 firearms trafficked by Jones and his co-conspirators between early 2020 and mid-2021, approximately 45 were recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia. These firearms have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses. Three firearms straw purchased by Lawson were recovered by Philadelphia police at crime scenes.
Lawson and Bickford are among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. After five days of trial, a federal jury found Jones, 37, of Philadelphia, guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Philadelphia Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-79.
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Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Crime Against Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Norman Leon Geipe II, 39, was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for resisting a federal officer causing bodily injury.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 14, 2021, deputy U.S. Marshals approached Geipe outside a Parkersburg homeless shelter and told Geipe they had an arrest warrant alleging he had failed to register as a sex offender. Geipe physically resisted the attempt to take him into custody and bit the left forearm of one of the deputy U.S. Marshals, breaking the skin and drawing blood.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service and the Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Troy D. Adams and Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-98.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aaron Andrew Dement, 44, of Munroe Falls, Ohio, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor. Dement must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dement used a dating-chat website to communicate with an individual he believed to be a minor female. Dement admitted to sending the minor female a photo of his genitals and a video of himself masturbating. Dement also asked the minor female to take and send him a photo of her genitalia.
On October 2, 2021, Dement contacted the minor female again and asked her to produce and send him a sexually explicit photo of herself and a sexually explicit voice message. Dement sent the minor female another sexually explicit video of himself. Dement further admitted that from October 7, 2021 until December 13, 2021, he continued to attempt to persuade, induce, entice or coerce the minor child to produce sexually explicit images of herself while also sending her sexually explicit images of himself, through online chats and text messages.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crime Against Children (VCAC) Task Force.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Kristin F. Scott prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-20 and 2:22-cr-199.
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Former Raleigh County Housing Director Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. Laquenta Lowe, 45, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conversion of public money exceeding $1,000. Lowe admitted to stealing at least $7,978.91 in federal funds while employed by the Raleigh County Housing Authority (RCHA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lowe was chief financial officer and accountant for the RCHA from July 1, 2018 through May 31, 2019. Lowe was executive director of the RCHA from June 1, 2019, through April 30, 2021. During this time, RCHA administered programs that used federal funds including the Section 8 income-based rent subsidy program. RCHA kept the federal funds it received from the United States Department and Urban Development (HUD) in RCHA’s primary operating account at a West Virginia bank.
Lowe used her positions at RCHA to steal at least $7,978.91 in federal funds that HUD had disbursed to RCHA and knowingly converted the funds to her personal use and without authorization. Lowe admitted to receiving at least $6,728.82 of that amount in overtime compensation that she should not have received. Lowe further admitted to receiving at least $660.68 in travel-related expenses reimbursements that she should not have received for RCHA-related travel. Lowe also admitted to using a RCHA credit card issued to her to purchase a $199.99 smart watch for her personal use and without authorization.
Lowe is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 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 United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Kristin Scott are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-7.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jamie Edward Smith, 36, of Montgomery, was sentenced today to seven years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing methamphetamine and violating his supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 22, 2022, Smith sold approximately 18 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on Third Avenue in Montgomery for $350. Smith admitted to selling additional quantities of methamphetamine totaling approximately 51 grams to the confidential informant in Montgomery on two other occasions in February 2022. Smith further admitted to possessing a pistol and showing it to the confidential informant during one of the transactions.
Smith was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 21, 2017. Today’s prison sentence includes 10 months for committing a crime while on supervised release.
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 Nowles Heinrich prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-195.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Scott Phalen, 63, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to 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 Kanawha City restaurant in 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.
Phalen is scheduled to be sentenced on June 22, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-204.
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Mason County Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Matthew Ryan Harper, 22, of Point Pleasant, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Harper must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 9, 2021, Harper used the Snapchat social media platform to distribute a video of a prepubescent minor female subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Harper admitted to distributing videos containing child pornography on three additional occasions in June 2021. Harper communicated with others on Snapchat and the Omegle online chat website about obtaining and trading child pornography during this time.
Harper further admitted to possessing 100 images and 38 videos of child pornography on January 25, 2022. Some of the images depicted toddlers.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-60.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – George Michael Thayer, 52, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 24, 2022, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Thayer. The officer searched the vehicle and found approximately 12 oxycodone pills, multiple empty sandwich bags and a set of digital scales. Thayer admitted that he possessed the oxycodone found during the vehicle search and further admitted that he intended to distribute it.
Thayer is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 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 West Virginia State Police and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans 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-70.
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Boone County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Troy Wilson Wheatley, 42, of Boone County, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 30, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to reports of a shooting at Wheatley’s residence near Chapmanville. Officers encountered Wheatley and seized a Ruger, model Security-9, 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson, .22-caliber pistol. One firearm was in a holster on Wheatley’s hip and the other was in his back pocket. Wheatley admitted to possessing the firearms and further admitted to the officers that he had discharged a firearm when his nephew drove past the residence that morning.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Wheatley was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Nicholas County Circuit Court on February 3, 2006.
Wheatley is scheduled to be sentenced on June 22, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Lesley Shamblin 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-225.
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Straw Purchaser Sentenced for Role in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Maurice Johnson, 36, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to traffic more than 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson participated in a conspiracy led by Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” that trafficked in firearms purchased in the Southern District of West Virginia from around June 2020 to around July 2021. Johnson was among several straw purchasers enlisted to buy the firearms, with Jones or an intermediary telling Johnson what firearms to purchase and providing the money to buy them.
Johnson bought a HS Produkt, Model XDS MOD (Springfield Armory), 9mm pistol and a Ruger, Security-9, 9mm pistol, for Jones in Mount Hope on December 29, 2020. Johnson admitted that he falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that he was the buyer of the firearms when he knew he was purchasing them for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy.
Johnson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license and making false statements in acquisition of firearms. Johnson is among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with firearms trafficking. Of the over 140 firearms trafficked in the conspiracy, approximately 45 have been recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses. One of the firearms Johnson purchased was recovered at a crime scene in Philadelphia.
After five days of trial, a federal jury found Jones, 37, of Philadelphia, guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46.
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Montana Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Gary Lee Hodges, 72, of Bigfork, Montana was sentenced today to 27 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for two counts of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Hodges must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hodges contacted a woman in Beckley, West Virginia, on a social networking website dedicated to individuals interested in sexual fetishes. Hodges learned that the woman had two daughters, ages 11 and 13. Hodges expressed interest in coming to West Virginia to establish a household with the woman and children, where he would engage in sexual activity with both minor females. Specifically, Hodges stated that he planned to engage in sexual intercourse and oral sex on a regular basis with both minor females.
During the next month, Hodges continued to make plans to travel to West Virginia to meet the woman and her daughters. To encourage the children to engage in sexual activity with him, Hodges sent them lingerie and other gifts and booked a trip to take them to Washington, D.C., to visit the zoo. Hodges reserved a hotel room in Beckley to meet the woman and the girls. Hodges flew to Charleston on January 14, 2022, where he was arrested.
The court found that Hodges planned to use the two children as “sex slaves” and called his criminal conduct “abominable.”
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald and third-year law student intern Ryan Vick 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-33.
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Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – James Meeks-Little, 29, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 24, 2021, Meeks-Little was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers in Beckley. Meeks-Little was the subject of an arrest warrant at the time of the traffic stop. Officers found 247.9 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl hidden behind the glove box, and a Springfield, model XD, 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Meeks-Little admitted to possessing the fentanyl mixture and further admitted that he intended to distribute it.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the West Virginia State Police, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess 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 No. 5:21-cr-129.
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Greenbrier County Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Justin Charles Baker, 35, of Smoot, pleaded guilty today to failure to provide information related to interstate travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Baker was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction for sexual battery in North Carolina on July 19, 2021. Baker traveled from Covington, Virginia, to the area of Smoot, West Virginia, where he resided and worked 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.
Baker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 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.
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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-226.
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Raleigh County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Thomas John Mills, 37, of Beckley, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Following his release from prison, Mills must register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mills admitted to coercing a 15-year-old minor female to engage in sexually explicit conduct, including masturbation and the lascivious exhibition of her genitals, between March and October 2020 for the purpose of creating images and videos of this conduct. Mills had the minor take pictures and videos to send to him and also had her participate in live video chats where he told her to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
The court described the case as “one of the worst set of circumstances” it has seen.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
These cases were 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. 5:21-cr-96.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Justin Allen Bowen, 40, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Bowen received methamphetamine from his supplier for several months prior to December 5, 2022. Bowen would receive several pounds of methamphetamine at a time and distribute it to several of his customers throughout Kanawha County.
On December 5, 2023, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at locations where Bowen had delivered methamphetamine the night before and seized a total of approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine found in three locations.
Bowen is scheduled to be sentenced on June 8, 2023, and faces a faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Jasper Wemh, Richard Allen Bowen, McKenzie Bowen, Kimberly Dawn Legg, Larry Wayne Legg, Nicholas Bradford Confere, and Stanley Aaron Burkes were indicted along with Justin Allen Bowen and are scheduled for trial on April 25, 2023. 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), Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), Charleston Police Department, West Virginia State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe and Nowles Heinrich are 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 No. 2:23-cr-4.
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Ex-Housing Authority Official Ordered to Pay Restitution for Federal Fraud CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Pamela McDaniel, 69, of Charleston, was ordered today to pay $17,543.92 in restitution and sentenced to five years of federal probation, including six months on home detention, for altering a postal money order and embezzling more than $28,000 from the Charleston-Kanawha Housing Authority (CKHA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, McDaniel had been employed by CKHA since 2006 and was serving as a housing manager in 2018. As a housing manager, McDaniel’s duties included collecting tenant rental payments and forwarding them to the CKHA accounts clerk. On January 10, 2018, McDaniel received a $235 postal money order from a CKHA tenant intended for rental payment. McDaniel admitted to adding her own name to the postal money order to make it appear as though McDaniel was the intended beneficiary of the payment. McDaniel deposited the postal money order into her personal checking account.
McDaniel further admitted that from 2007 to 2018, she used her position as a CKHA housing manager to embezzle $28,523.30. As part of this scheme, McDaniel altered money orders she received from tenants attempting to pay dues that they owed CKHA and deposited the altered money orders into her personal checking account. McDaniel offset some of the money she stole by repaying a portion of the embezzled funds.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell 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-157.
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Charleston Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kenneth Desaun Hayway, 38, and Hannah Elizabeth Barbee, 30, both of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hayway sold fentanyl to a confidential informant asking for heroin on August 15, 2022, and August 19, 2022, in Charleston. Hayway further admitted to organizing the sale of fentanyl with Barbee and co-defendant Khalif Marquee Coleman to a confidential informant seeking heroin on August 19, 2022, at Barbee’s Chesterfield Avenue residence in Charleston.
Barbee admitted to selling fentanyl to a confidential informant seeking heroin on six occasions between August 5, 2022, and September 27, 2022, at her Chesterfield Avenue residence. On September 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Barbee’s residence and found mixtures containing fentanyl totaling 55.97 grams, scales, drug packaging materials, and $5,926. Some of the cash recovered during the search was prerecorded buy money from the sales to the confidential informants.
Hayway and Barbee are scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2023, and face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
Coleman, 35, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on February 22, 2022. Coleman is scheduled to be sentenced on June 8, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-198.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kishaun Andre Jones, 23, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to 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.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
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. 5:22-cr-64.
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Woman Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchase of Firearm Used in Fatal Nicholas County ShootingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Melanie Clodfelter, 41, of Summersville, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for making a false statement in acquisition of a firearm. Clodfelter admitted to purchasing a semi-automatic firearm used to kill one Nicholas County deputy sheriff and seriously injure another in June 2022.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2021, Clodfelter bought a Radical Firearms, model RF-15, multi-caliber rifle in Nicholas County. Clodfelter admitted to lying on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473, by falsely certifying that she was the buyer of the firearm when she knew she was purchasing it for Richie Holcomb.
Clodfelter gave Holcomb the firearm on the day of the purchase. Clodfelter admitted that Holcomb gave her the money to buy the firearm. Clodfelter further admitted that she knew Holcomb was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a prior felony conviction.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Holcomb was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a felony conviction for unlawful wounding in Webster County Circuit Court on July 30, 2014.
Clodfelter was prohibited from possessing a firearm because she was an unlawful user of methamphetamine. Prior to purchasing the firearm for Holcomb, Clodfelter knew that Holcomb was also an unlawful user of methamphetamine.
On June 3, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the Birch River area and encountered Holcomb and another individual. During the encounter, Holcomb fatally shot Nicholas County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Edward Baker III with the semi-automatic rifle purchased and provided by Clodfelter. Corporal Joshua Ellison was wounded in the exchange of gunfire. Holcomb was fatally shot.
Baker’s widow, Jamie D. Baker, addressed the court and described the impact of Clodfelter’s act on her life and the lives of his children, their family and the Nicholas County community. The court stated that Clodfelter’s “reckless act” led to the “loss of the life of a man of valor, courage and dedication.”
“It may have taken only a few seconds for Clodfelter to answer falsely on that ATF form, but the tragic consequences will last a lifetime,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This case is why the statute was enacted. Some people may think that the straw purchase of a firearm is not a big deal, but when you have a dead deputy, a widow, children who will grow up without their father, and another wounded deputy, it’s a pretty significant crime.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which assisted the Nicholas County Sheriff's Office and the West Virginia State Police in response to the shooting of the two deputies.
“The tragic death of Nicholas County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Edward Baker III, and the injury of another deputy, is another terrible example of what happens when guns are supplied to those who are prohibited from possessing them,” said Acting ATF Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the Louisville Division. “ATF will continue to focus on those who drive violent crime, which includes those who commit violence using firearms and those that help them obtain firearms illegally. This case should serve as a strong warning to those involved in straw purchasing, there will be consequences to your actions.”
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Steve Loew, Negar M. Kordestani 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-135.
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Fayette County Man and Business Plead Guilty to Clean Water Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael Graves, 67, of Charlton Heights, and West Virginia Environmental Services (WVES), a company wholly owned by Graves, each pleaded guilty today to a felony violation of the Clean Water Act.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Graves and WVES owned and managed an industrial waste landfill in Fayette County, West Virginia. As noted by inspectors from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Graves and WVES failed to maintain the landfill’s leachate collection for several years beginning in at least 2016. Leachate is any liquid that passes through the landfill and picks up material from the landfill, including toxic materials that must be properly treated prior to discharge into a stream or tributary.
The failure of Graves and WVES to maintain the leachate collection system caused the discharge of leachate that contained toxic water pollutants into a tributary that flowed into the Kanawha River near Alloy, West Virginia. The toxic pollutants included arsenic, hexavalent chromium, and selenium. The Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the landfill has since lapsed and has not been renewed.
Graves is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. WVES faces a maximum penalty of $500,000 and five years of probation. Graves and WVES both face a possible order of restitution.
“Polluters must be held accountable when their violations result in a risk to our communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I thank the Criminal Investigative Division of the Environmental Protection Agency and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for their investigative work in this case.”
“Our nation’s environmental laws are designed to ensure water contaminated with heavy metals and known carcinogens from industrial activities, such as those seen here, do not get into our rivers and streams,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Conrad of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Program in West Virginia. “Today’s guilty plea by Mr. Graves and West Virginia Environmental Services demonstrates that individuals and companies who knowingly violate those laws will be held responsible for their crimes.”
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry McDaniel are prosecuting the case.
On May 5, 2022, the Department launched the Office of Environmental Justice and announced a comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy. Enforcement of this strategy relies upon meaningful engagement and transparency with impacted communities regarding environmental justice issues, efforts, and results.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia enforces federal laws to protect environmental quality and human health in all communities within the district. In coordination with components of the Justice Department, the United States Attorney’s Office will hold polluters accountable for their actions, prioritizing cases that will reduce public health and environmental harms to overburdened and underserved communities.
The United States Attorney’s Office encourages the public to report suspected environmental violations within the district. Reports may be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency or by email, mail, or phone to the United States Attorney’s Office.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-186.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Khalif Marquee Coleman, 35, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Coleman admitted to arranging the sales of mixtures containing fentanyl to confidential informants asking to purchase heroin in Charleston in seven separate transactions between May 2, 2022, and September 23, 2022. All but one of these transactions occurred at a Chesterfield Avenue residence in Charleston and the mixtures totaled approximately 92.64 grams.
Coleman also admitted to arranging seven additional sales of mixtures containing fentanyl in August and September, 2022, at or near the Chesterfield Avenue residence.
On September 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Chesterfield Avenue residence and found mixtures containing fentanyl totaling 55.97 grams, scales, drug packaging materials, and $5,926. Some of the cash recovered during the search was prerecorded buy money from the sales to the confidential informants.
Coleman is scheduled to be sentenced on June 8, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-198.
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Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Bryanna Danielle Kern, 25, of Proctorville, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute suboxone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2022, Kern was working as a kitchen employee at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville, West Virginia, when she agreed to deliver a package containing suboxone to an inmate in exchange for $2,000. After Kern drove to the jail that day, her vehicle was searched by investigators who found the package and the payment.
Kern is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, two years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.
The inmate, Corey Michael Perkins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone, methamphetamine, and fentanyl and was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison on August 22, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe 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-221.
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Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Monroe Avant, 32, of Inkster, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 13, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to a shooting on the 1600 block of 11th Avenue in Huntington. Officers encountered a vehicle with two men passed out in the driver and front passenger seats. Officers saw that the passenger had a semi-automatic pistol in his waistband. Avant admitted that he was the passenger and possessed a Taurus Model 709 9mm handgun.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Avant is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for first-degree robbery in Cabell County Circuit Court on May 6, 2014.
Avant is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 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 Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-245.
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Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to and is Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Israel Garcia-Cocotle, also known as “Israel Cocotle Rayon” and “Israel Cococle-Garcia,” 33, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty today to the felony offense of reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to 10 months in prison. Garcia-Cocotle will be remanded to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings at the conclusion of his sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 8, 2022, ICE agents arrested Garcia-Cocotle in Charleston, Kanawha County, following a traffic stop conducted of a vehicle he was driving. Garcia-Cocotle did not have a driver’s license and presented a Mexican consular identification document. Garcia-Cocotle admitted that he was a citizen of Mexico in the United States illegally and that he had previously been deported from the United States. Garcia-Cocotle had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.
Fingerprints matched Garcia-Cocotle to nine prior removals from the United States to Mexico between 2009 and 2018. Garcia-Cocotle was previously convicted of felony third-degree rape and fourth-degree assault in Fayette County, Kentucky, Circuit Court on July 6, 2018. Garcia-Cocotle was also convicted of illegal entry into the United States in United States District Court for the District of Arizona on July 18, 2011. Garcia-Cocotle never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States for any of the prior removals, nor did he seek to reenter the United States through other legal means.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes 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-11.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Calvin Butler, 24, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $16,040 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Butler provided his personal information to an individual he met on the Instagram social media platform who had offered to apply for a PPP loan on Butler’s behalf in exchange for $2,000 of the loan proceeds. On April 25, 2021, this individual electronically submitted an application falsely stating that Butler operated a barbershop and that it had received $77,000 in gross income in 2020. Butler admitted that he knew he was not eligible to receive a PPP loan. Butler further admitted that he proceeded with the scheme because he needed money to pay his bills.
The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses applying for PPP loans had to certify that the business was in operation on February 15, 2020, and were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.
The fraudulent PPP loan application was approved and $16,040 was electronically deposited from a financial institution in Tennessee to Butler’s account with a bank in South Charleston on June 7, 2021. Butler admitted that he knew the deposit was the result of the fraudulent PPP loan application. Butler further admitted that he withdrew and spent $15,000 of the fraudulently obtained money to benefit himself personally and not for any legitimate business expenses.
Butler pleaded guilty to wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2023. Butler faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Butler also owes $18,540 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), the West Virginia State Auditor’s Public Integrity and Fraud Unit, and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-161.
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Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Melissa Dawn Lockhart, 49, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 25, 2021, Lockhart sold approximately 5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Huntington residence.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-73.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dillon Shane Browning, 31, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to 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.
Browning is scheduled to be sentenced on My 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-6.
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Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Darion D. Jackson, also known as “D,” 23, of Michigan, was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 8, 2021, Jackson sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Coal City, West Virginia, residence where Jackson was staying.
Jackson admitted to distributing that fentanyl and a separate quantity of fentanyl that he sold to another confidential informant in the Coal City area on May 27, 2021. On August 23, 2021, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle driven by Jackson. The officers found approximately 21.1 grams of fentanyl in Jackson’s vehicle. Jackson admitted that he possessed the fentanyl and planned to distribute it within the Southern District of West Virginia.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the 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.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-30.
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Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing Weapon at FCI BeckleyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Matthew Jackson, 27, 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 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..
Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 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. 5:22-cr-232.
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Federal Jury Convicts Charleston Man of Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After three days of trial, a federal jury convicted Mark Bolling, 55, of Charleston, today of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and illegal possession of a firearm silencer.
Evidence at trial proved that on September 19, 2020, a law enforcement officer in Fayette County conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Bolling and recovered approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of fentanyl, a pistol magazine containing .45-caliber ammunition, and $7,000 from the vehicle.
On September 21, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bolling’s property on Keystone Drive in Charleston and seized a Rock River Arms, model LAR-15, 5.56mm rifle, a Bryco Arms, model 38, .380-caliber pistol, and a Gemtech, Model HALO, 5.56mm silencer.
The silencer was not registered to Bolling in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bolling was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions including possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine on September 30, 2019, and transferring and receiving stolen property on September 24, 2018, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the jury trial. Bolling is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
“This offender posed a significant risk to the Kanawha County community because of his involvement in both illegal drugs and firearms,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I thank the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Fayetteville Police Department for their excellent work in this case. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrch and Steve Loew and our trial team.”
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-87.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Eddie E. Kellom, also known as “Ace,” 23, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Kellom admitted to selling quantities of fentanyl to confidential informants in Raleigh County on four separate occasions between May 21, 2021, and November 1, 2021.
On January 11, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Kellom in Putnam County. The officers found approximately 250 grams of fentanyl in the vehicle. Kellom admitted that he had traveled from Michigan with the fentanyl and planned to distribute it in the Southern District of West Virginia.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the 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.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-31.
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Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dana Michael Russell, also known as “Anthony Roberts,” 36, of Griffithsville, Lincoln County, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 20, 2021, Russell possessed two images of child pornography on his cell phone depicting prepubescent minor females subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Russell admitted that one of the images depicted a known child victim.
Russell further admitted to using his cell phone on June 25, 2020, to distribute and attempt to distribute an image containing child pornography using the Snapchat social media platform. Russell also admitted to distributing images containing child pornography using multiple Snapchat and Facebook accounts in June, August and December 2020. One of the Facebook accounts that Russell used had “Anthony Roberts” as the account username.
Russell faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Russell is a registered sex offender as a result of his conviction for distribution and exhibiting of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in Kanawha County Circuit Court on February 19, 2015.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger 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. 2:22-cr-25.
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Another Straw Purchaser Sentenced for Role in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kyla Gilbert, 26, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation in connection with a conspiracy to traffic more than 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gilbert was recruited to purchase firearms for the trafficking conspiracy, which took place from around June 2020 to around July 2021. Gilbert admitted to purchasing two Ruger, Model Ruger 57, 5.7x28-caliber pistols in Beckley on May 10, 2021, for the firearms trafficking ring. Gilbert further admitted to buying at least four firearms for the trafficking conspiracy in April and May, 2021.
Gilbert pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms. Gilbert admitted that she falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearms when she knew she was buying the firearms for someone else.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
Gilbert is among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. Of the over 140 firearms trafficked in the conspiracy, approximately 45 have been recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.
After five days of trial, a federal jury found ringleader Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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-127.
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Justice Department Investments in State Crisis Intervention Include More Than $1.7 million for West VirginiaRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson announced today that the Justice Department has awarded $1,755,887 to West Virginia as part of the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program. This investment in community safety is authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, historic legislation to address and reduce gun violence.
The funding will help the state develop and staff a new advisory board known as the West Virginia Crisis Intervention Advisory Board, to inform and guide the state’s related gun violence reduction programs and initiatives. This board will include representatives from law enforcement, the community, courts, prosecution, behavioral health providers, victim services, and legal counsel.
“This award will support a collaborative partnership with an overall goal of reducing gun-related violence throughout the state, including the Southern District of West Virginia,” Thompson said. “The funding will help the advisory board assess such evidence-based strategies as extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs, behavioral health deflection, and drug, mental health, and veterans’ treatment courts.”
The Justice and Community Services (JCS) Section of the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services (DAS) successfully applied for the award, as the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for criminal justice-related activities in the state. The award is part of an announced investment of over $231 million nationally that will fund state crisis intervention court proceedings, including but not limited to, extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs that work to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others.
These awards, administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), provide funding to states for the creation and implementation of extreme risk protection order programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related gun violence reduction initiatives. Extreme risk protection order programs empower family members, health care providers, school officials and law enforcement officers to petition a court to temporarily prevent a person from accessing firearms if they are found to be a danger to themselves or others. Funds can also support interventions like drug, mental health and veterans’ treatment courts, gun violence recovery courts, behavior health deflection and outpatient treatment centers.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act also seeks to ensure that extreme risk protection order laws and programs are implemented in accordance with the Constitution and provide for adequate due process protections. Projects funded under this program will need to demonstrate that they have taken measures to safeguard the constitutional rights of an individual subject to a crisis intervention program or ERPO initiative. The Justice Department has long supported state efforts to increase the use of ERPOs and in 2021 the Department released model legislation to help states create their own extreme risk protection order systems and provide for intervention before warning signs turn into tragedy.
Signed into law by President Biden in June 2022, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is the most significant piece of federal gun safety legislation in almost three decades and comes as a response to recent mass shootings and to the far more common, but no less tragic, incidents of community gun violence. Including the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program, the law allocates a total of $1.4 billion to OJP over five years to develop, implement, and sustain meaningful investments in safer communities.
These awards are the latest effort from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs to implement this historic legislation.
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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Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – David Shannon Browning, 57, of Oak Hill, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 4, 2022, Browning sold approximately 6.79 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at his residence. Browning was on supervised release for a 2010 conviction for aiding and abetting the distribution of oxycodone when he committed this offense.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force and the Oak Hill Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe 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-35 and 2:09-cr-227.
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Romance Fraud Awareness: A Great Gift for Valentine’s Day (or Any Day)Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Criminals attempt romance fraud schemes every day, but Valentine’s Day is a good opportunity to raise awareness and help protect yourself and loved ones.
Romance scams occur when a fake online identity is used to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports that in West Virginia, 103 victims lost roughly $3.4 million in 2022 to romance scams, also called confidence fraud. Nationwide, approximately 19,000 victims reported a loss of more than $700 million last year.
“Romance scams can prove costly in terms of money, but they also cause great emotional harm to victims and their families,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson of the Southern District of West Virginia. “It’s never too late to learn how to detect and avoid becoming a victim of a romance scheme. There’s never any shame in reporting a scam or seeking help: the techniques used by these criminals are often extremely sophisticated.”
Thompson added that his office expects to issue a significant educational resource targeting romance and elder fraud in the coming weeks.
Experts offer tips for flagging romance scams:
- Be careful what you post and make public online. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.
- Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to communicate directly.
- Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.
- Beware if the individual promises to meet in person but then always comes up with an excuse why he or she can’t. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious.
- Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone. Never provide your financial information or allow your bank accounts to be used for transfers of funds.
Requests for gift cards are also a red flag. The FBI has additional tips and information for protecting against romance and confidence fraud: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/romance-scams.
The FBI’s IC3 has numerous resources including an online complaint form: https://www.ic3.gov/Home/ComplaintChoice.
These schemes affect victims from all demographics, but elderly women are targeted most. The U.S. Department of Justice offers information through its Elder Justice Initiative and the Office of Victims of Crime: https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
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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Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – George Daren Hall, also known as “Pops,” 47, of Nitro, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 10, 2022, Hall sold approximately 65 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant outside of a Nitro residence.
Hall is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 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) and the West Virginia State Police Ona Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-166.
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