Southern District of West Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Christopher Eugene Capers, 34, of Huntington, was sentenced today to seven years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 21, 2020, Capers was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers on Doulton Avenue in Huntington. Capers admitted that he possessed a Taurus G2 9mm handgun found by the officers in his waistband. Capers further admitted that on June 26, 2020, officers found approximately 46.2 grams of crack as well as drug paraphernalia and $3,734.25 in cash in his Huntington residence.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Capers knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony convictions for carrying a concealed deadly weapon-second offense on January 14, 2013, attempting to commit the felony of possession with intent to deliver heroin on September 8, 2016, and being a felon in possession of a firearm on February 21, 2019, all in Cabell County Circuit Court.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, the Huntington Police Department, and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe 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-26.
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Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Brian Donaldson, 30, of Oakwood, Georgia, admitted to selling approximately 8 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the parking lot of a Huntington, West Virginia, restaurant on June 14, 2019.
Donaldson is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison as well as at least five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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-212.
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North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Calvin Moore, 32, of Silver City, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 14, 2021, law enforcement officers visited a Sixth Street residence in Charleston looking for Moore. In an attempt to flee, Moore jumped out of a window of the residence. After a brief struggle, officers detained Moore and found a loaded Bryco Arms Jennings .22LR firearm with a chambered round in Moore’s front pants pocket. The firearm was found to have been stolen.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Moore is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his 2012 felony conviction in North Carolina for robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Moore is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, 2022 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 Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is prosecuting 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. 2:21-cr-217.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Galen Flowers, 40, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a federal search warrant at Flowers’ St. Albans home and at an adjoining property on which Flowers admitted he had been storing some of his property and other belongings, including several cars. DEA agents seized over 1,300 grams of actual methamphetamine and quantities of other controlled substances, including fentanyl, in connection with the search. Agents also seized 21 firearms and a stolen, loaded Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which Flowers had obtained in an exchange for drugs.
Flowers is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum period of five years imprisonment and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5,000,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani 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-131.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Re'Shaun Lamonte Wilborne, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years and one month 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, Wilborne admitted he possessed a Jimenez Arms, model JA NINE, 9mm caliber handgun that Charleston Police officers found when they arrested him on July 20, 2021, on an active state drug warrant.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Wilborne is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his 2004 felony conviction in Fayette County Circuit Court for sexual assault in the 2nd degree involving a disabled female victim, and his 2017 federal conviction in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also has a previous state court conviction for failing to register as a sex offender.
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.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-162.
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Logan County Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Logan County woman pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, admitting to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of over $42,250.00 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, Alexis Ransom, 24, of Logan, applied for three PPP loans beginning on March 27, 2021, and continuing to August 16, 2021, for her purported business, Alexis Renae Ransom, which she claimed did business under the tradenames of Renae’s Fashion Consulting LLC and Momma & Me Boutique. Ransom admitted that she falsely stated that Renae’s Fashion Consulting LLC was established in 2019, and had earned $66,900.00 in gross income in 2019 and 2020, and that Momma & Me Boutique earned $69,000.00 in gross income in 2019. The investigation revealed that Ransom’s purported business and its tradenames had not engaged in substantial business activity before February 15, 2020. Ransom further admitted that she submitted a false Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business in connection with the first loan application she submitted for Renae’s Fashion Consulting LLC.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities.
Ransom obtained two PPP loans of $13,937.50 each for Renae’s Fashion Consulting LLC, and one loan of $14,375.00 for Momma & Me Boutique. Ransom admitted that she later applied to have all three PPP loans forgiven even though she had not spent the loan proceeds on permissible business expenses. The SBA forgave her loans on August 16, 2021.
Ransom is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Ransom also agreed to pay $42,250.00 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the West Virginia State Police and the United States Secret Service for conducting the investigation.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson 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-122.
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Federal Jury Finds Logan County Man Guilty of Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal jury convicted a Logan County man yesterday of accessing with the intent to view prepubescent child pornography.
According to testimony at trial, Raymond Dugan, 55, was found guilty by a jury of his peers of accessing with the intent to view prepubescent child pornography using the TOR browser and the dark web. A forensic analysis of Dugan’s computer revealed 1,237 images of child pornography.
Dugan is scheduled to be sentenced on October 27, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Dugan must also register as a sex offender.
“Bringing child predators to justice is one of the highest priorities of my office,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend our law enforcement partners and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie White and Nowles Heinrich for their outstanding work to secure this guilty verdict.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police Forensic Sciences Laboratory conducted the investigation.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the jury trial.
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. 2:21-cr-127.
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Mercer County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Mercer County man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Bobby Glen Trent, 37, of Princeton, admitted to pointing a Diamondback Arms, Model DB9, 9mm pistol at a man on Highland Avenue in Princeton on September 24, 2019. Trent had gotten into an argument with the man while walking by the man’s house. During the argument, Trent approached the man, pointed the firearm at him, and threatened to shoot him. The man called 911. Trent was eventually arrested by law enforcement officers. The officers recovered the firearm in the bushes near the man’s house. Trent admitted the firearm had a defaced serial number.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Trent knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony convictions for grand larceny and conspiracy in Cabell County Circuit Court on March 4, 2011.
Trent is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Princeton Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-138.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced to four years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Reginald Jerome Hairston, 44, admitted that he conspired with other individuals to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl between May and July 2021. Hairston acquired quantities of the controlled substances from co-defendant Christopher Leon Vest for purchase by other individuals. Hairston and Vest each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Vest was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison on May 16, 2022.
The case is the result of a long-term investigation that disrupted the DTO and its distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and crack. All 18 defendants have pleaded guilty.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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-109.
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Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Joshua Radcliffe, 39, of Shady Spring, 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, Radcliffe admitted that he used a Cobray Model D, .45/.410-caliber Derringer pistol to rob a Shady Spring convenience store on December 1, 2021. Law enforcement officers found the firearm in Radcliffe’s residence on December 6, 2021, and he admitted to the crime.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Radcliffe was aware that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for conspiracy to use firearms in a drug trafficking crime in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 28, 2019.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-62.
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Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Andrew Daniel Sprinkle, 35, of Oak Hill, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sprinkle admitted to selling methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Mount Hope on September 21 and September 22, 2020. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Sprinkle’s vehicle following the September 22, 2020, transaction and found cash from the controlled buys, drug paraphernalia, and a Smith & Wesson, model SD9 VE, 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Sprinkle admitted to possessing the firearm during the September 21, 2020, controlled buy. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Sprinkle knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for possession with the intent to sell or deliver marijuana in the District Court of Henderson County, North Carolina, on May 12, 2015.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Beckley Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, 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 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-149.
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Three More Straw Purchasers Plead Guilty in Connection with Beckley-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Maurice Johnson, 36, of Mount Hope, and Beckley residents Donte Webster, 22, and Kyla Gilbert, 25, each pleaded guilty today to making straw firearm purchases in connection with a conspiracy to traffic more than 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Johnson, Webster and Gilbert are among more than a dozen individuals charged in connection with the firearms trafficking conspiracy, which took place from around June 2020 to around July 2021. More than 40 of the firearms have been recovered in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.
“Stopping straw purchasers is critical to keeping our communities safe,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “As this case continues to show, great harm is inflicted on people’s lives when firearms are provided to those who are prohibited from possessing them. As I’ve stated before, the fact that firearms are being purchased in southern West Virginia and taken to Philadelphia to be used in homicides should be of great concern both to our state and our nation. I commend the ATF for their continuing work in helping us prosecute this case.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson and Webster admitted to purchasing firearms for co-defendant Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh.” Through an intermediary, Jones provided each with the money to purchase firearms and told them which ones to buy.
Johnson admitted to buying a HS Produkt, Model XDS MOD (Springfield Armory), 9mm pistol and a Ruger, Security-9, 9mm pistol, in Mount Hope on December 29, 2020. Webster admitted to purchasing a Glock 19Gen5, 9mm pistol, a Glock 26Gen5, 9mm pistol, and a Taurus G2C, 9mm pistol in Beckley on July 6, 2021. Webster further admitted that he bought at least 13 firearms for Jones in June and July, 2021, so Jones and others could transport and resell them outside of West Virginia.
Gilbert admitted to purchasing two Ruger, Model Ruger 57, 5.7x28-caliber pistols in Beckley on May 10, 2021, for Denise Johnson, a co-defendant of Jones, Maurice Johnson and Webster. Gilbert admitted that Denise Johnson gave her the money to purchase the firearms and told her which ones to buy. Gilbert further admitted to buying at least four firearms for Denise Johnson in April and May, 2021.
Maurice Johnson, Webster and Gilbert each pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms, admitting they falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms when they knew they were buying the firearms for someone else.
Five co-defendants have also pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms, admitting to making straw purchases in the conspiracy: Tyana Bly, Stephanie Cohernour, Arileah Lacy, Terri Lawhorn and Lakeshia Nicole Simon. Co-defendant Derrick Woodard pleaded guilty to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Six additional defendants have pleaded guilty to firearms offenses related to the same interstate gun trafficking conspiracy: Megan Bickford, Jaleel Delaney, Michelle Grim, Brandon Lawson, Dejaha Morris, and Sequoyah Swain. The case remains pending against Jones, Denise Johnson and three other co-defendants. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maurice Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2022. Webster and Gilbert are scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2022. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is prosecuting the cases.
These cases are 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 and 5:22-cr-127.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Gregory Bush, 39, of Charleston, was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Bush was a member of a multi-state methamphetamine distribution organization operating in and around Charleston. Bush admitted that he obtained large quantities of methamphetamine in Decatur, Georgia and distributed it in and around Charleston during the spring and summer of 2021. On July 19, 2021, law enforcement officers tracked Bush from Charleston to Decatur where they observed him meet with his supplier, co-defendant Ramon David Alston. After following Bush a short distance from Alston’s residence, officers stopped the vehicle and seized 913 grams of “ICE” methamphetamine.
The case is part of a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution that resulted in the conviction of 17 individuals for various drug and firearm offenses in three separate indictments. Bush, Alston and 12 others pleaded guilty. The remaining three, Timothy Wayne Dodd, Douglas Jonathan Wesley and Leo Antoine Smith, were convicted at trial.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha and Putnam County Sheriff’s Departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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-90 and 2:21-cr-00172.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Danise Maurice Fortune, 41, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Fortune sold approximately 11 grams of suspected heroin for $1,300 to a confidential informant in St. Albans on January 25, 2022. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substance was approximately 9.2 grams of fentanyl with phencyclidine, also known as PCP.
Fortune is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston 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. 2:22-cr-69.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, admitting to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of over $41,666 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Malik Breckenridge, 26, of Charleston, applied for and obtained two PPP loans on behalf of his purported business, Malik Breck, between April 4, 2021, and August 10, 2021. Malik Breck was not a registered business entity in West Virginia and was not engaged in substantial, legitimate business activity on or before February 15, 2020. Breckenridge admitted that he falsely stated that Malik Breck was established in 2014 and operating on February 15, 2020. Breckenridge further admitted that he submitted a false Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business reporting that Malik Breck had earned $180,489 in gross income during 2019.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities.
A Florida lender processed both of Breckenridge’s PPP loan applications. Each loan totaled $20,833. Breckenridge admitted that he later applied to have both PPP loans forgiven even though he had not spent the loan proceeds on permissible business expenses. The SBA forgave the loans on August 8, 2021.
“This is the first fraud conviction related to COVID-19 in the Southern District of West Virginia, and sadly, it probably won’t be the last,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “PPP funds offered a lifeline to small businesses during the pandemic, and this office is determined to hold accountable those who undermine these needed programs through fraud and abuse. This office will continue to prosecute those who take advantage of government programs that are designed to help people who are hurting.”
Thompson commended the West Virginia State Police and the United States Secret Service for their investigative work in the case.
Breckenridge is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Breckenridge also agrees that he owes $41,666 in restitution.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson 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-84.
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Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Lettia Harris, also known as “Tish,” 30, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Harris admitted to selling a Jennings, model J22, .22-caliber pistol and approximately 0.6 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” to a confidential informant at her Charleston residence on November 14, 2018.
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.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-117.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Artie Ray Warwick, Jr., 53, of Beckley, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 2, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Warwick’s residence and found in excess of 300 grams of methamphetamine, a small amount of heroin, cocaine, and an assortment of prescription pills. Warwick admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine in and around Raleigh County. The officers also recovered 104 marijuana plants that Warwick was growing inside his house. Warwick further admitted to possessing more than 800 grams of methamphetamine on October 25, 2021, which he intended to distribute in and around Beckley, and to selling small quantities of marijuana.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit is comprised of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-230.
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Two Beckley Women Plead Guilty to Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Lakeshia Nicole Simon, 23, and Tyana Bly, also known as “Biggie,” 22, both of Beckley, each pleaded guilty today to straw purchasing roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Simon and Bly each admitted to straw purchasing firearms in Beckley for Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh.” Jones provided Bly with money to buy the firearms and told her which ones to buy, and did the same with Simon through an intermediary.
Simon admitted to purchasing two Ruger Model Ruger 57, 5.7x28mm 5.7-caliber pistols for Jones on April 20, 2021. Simon further admitted to buying at least three additional firearms for Jones in April 2021 so he and others could transport and resell them outside of West Virginia.
Bly admitted to buying two SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistols and a Taurus G3C 9mm pistol for Jones in Beckley on April 2, 2021. Bly further admitted to purchasing at least five firearms for Jones in March and April 2021 so he and others could transport and resell them outside of West Virginia.
Simon and Bly pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms, admitting they falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms while knowing they were purchasing the firearms for someone else.
Simon and Bly are among 13 individuals indicted in connection with their roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More than 40 of the firearms have been recovered in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent crimes.
Stephanie Cohernour, Arileah Lacy, and Terri Lawhorn previously admitted to making straw purchases in the conspiracy, pleading guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms. Co-defendant Derrick Woodard pleaded guilty to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. The case remains pending against Jones and five other co-defendants. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Simon is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2022, and Bly is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 2022. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the ATF’s investigative work.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is prosecuting 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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Raleigh County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Raleigh County woman pleaded guilty today to distributing a quantity of heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Athena Grizzle, 37, admitted to selling a quantity of heroin to a confidential informant at a Shady Spring residence where she was staying on October 15, 2020. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substance contained heroin and fentanyl.
Grizzle is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner 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-12.
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Raleigh County Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison for Attempting to Entice a Minor to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a West Virginia minor to engage in sexual activity. Kenneth Owens, 58, of Surveyor, must also register as a sex offender.
A federal jury found Owens guilty of attempted enticement of a minor on April 7, 2022. Evidence at trial established that Owens attempted to entice a 15-year-old female relative to take and send him sexually explicit photos of herself from April 1, 2020 through Jan. 12, 2021. Owens provided the minor with cigarettes, vapes and alcohol in exchange for the images. Owens initially communicated with the minor female relative through Facebook, and then by cell phone.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Beckley Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Scott and Steve Loew 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. 1:21-cr-236.
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Mercer County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Mercer County man was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of hydromorphone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Eric Hendricks, 46, of Bluefield, admitted he sold four hydromorphone pills for $100 to a confidential informant in the Bluefield area on February 26, 2018. Hendricks further admitted to selling four hydromorphone pills to a confidential informant on February 21, 2018, and again on March 7, 2018.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney John L. File 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. 1:18-cr-90.
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Mercer County Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Mercer County man was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Bluefield residence of Christopher Paul Knight, 56, and seized a laptop computer. A forensic review of the computer revealed more than 1,000 image and video files of suspected child pornography. Knight admitted to downloading and possessing the images and videos of child pornography, which included prepubescent minors engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexually explicit conduct.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald 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. 1:21-cr-262.
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Roane County Man Pleads Guilty After Pipe Bomb FoundRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Roane County man pleaded guilty today to possessing an unregistered destructive device, after law enforcement officers found a pipe bomb at his residence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Spencer residence of Joseph David Bailey, 51. Officers found the completed pipe bomb as well as five unfinished pipe bombs in various stages of completion. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) determined that the completed pipe bomb was a destructive device and that Bailey did not register it with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2022, 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 West Virginia State Police and the ATF.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber 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. 2:21-cr-249.
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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Prison for Sex Offense Involving MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Russell Loar, Jr., 40, of Washington, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for traveling in interstate commerce to engage in sexual activity with a minor. Loar must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 27, 2021, Loar traveled from Washington, Pennsylvania, to Clay County, West Virginia, to have sex with a 14-year-old minor. Loar had been communicating with the minor via Snapchat for nearly a year, and his communications with her were sexual in nature. The minor’s parents learned about his communications and informed him of her age, but his communications continued. When Loar traveled to Clay County, he met with the minor and invited her into his truck. The minor’s mother happened to be driving by and intervened. After he was subsequently arrested, Loar admitted to sending a pornographic picture to the minor as well as telling her that he wanted to perform sex acts with her.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe 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. 2:21-cr-141.
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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Antwan Lamar Sherrod, 32, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 1, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington and encountered Sherrod in the residence with a Springfield Armory XDS 9mm pistol next to him on a couch.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Sherrod knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his conviction for felony conspiracy in Cabell County Circuit Court on August 24, 2017.
Sherrod is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2022, 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. 3:22-cr-22.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Lee Sturkey, 37, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 30, 2021, law enforcement officers observed the driver and passenger of a vehicle at the Third Avenue Speedway smoking marijuana. When Sturkey, the passenger, was asked to step out of the vehicle, he admitted to the officers that he had a firearm. Officers found a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .38-caliber revolver in Sturkey’s left coat pocket.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Sturkey knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for the distribution of a quantity of cocaine base in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on May 23, 2011.
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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor 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. 3:22-cr-21.
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Two Kanawha County Men Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael Antonio Smith, 49, of Charleston, was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jason Robert Oxley, 38, of St. Albans, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Oxley was on parole at the time he committed these offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith kept firearms and drugs in his residence in Rand for a member of a multi-state methamphetamine distribution organization operating in and around Charleston. On September 29, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence and recovered 31.89 grams of methamphetamine and four firearms, including two semi-automatic rifles: a Glock, Model 39, .45-caliber pistol; an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15, multi-caliber rifle; a Norinco, Model MAK-90 Sporter, 7.62 mm caliber rifle; and a Century Arms, Model RAS 47, 7.62 mm caliber pistol. Smith admitted that he possessed the firearms.
Oxley admitted that he obtained methamphetamine and other drugs from two of his co-defendants from March 2020 until June 2021, which he then distributed. Oxley admitted that he sold methamphetamine at his residence to a confidential informant on March 22, 2021 and April 12, 2021. Oxley further admitted that he bought a SWD Cobray, Model M11/9, 9mm pistol from a local gun show on May 21, 2021. Police recovered it the next day after a co-defendant hid it while trying to evade a traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Smith knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his convictions for possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine on April 10, 1997, wanton endangerment on March 2, 1998, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance on May 28, 2009, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court. Oxley knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his convictions for operating a clandestine drug lab in Putnam County Circuit Court on August, 31, 2004, for possession of substances used as precursors to manufacture methamphetamine in Kanawha County Circuit Court on June 26, 2017, and for grand larceny in Kanawha County Circuit Court on September 26, 2017.
These cases are part of a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution that resulted in the conviction of 17 individuals for various drug and firearm offenses in three separate indictments. Twelve others pleaded guilty: Ramon David Alston, James Edward Bennett III, Treydan Leon Burks, Jonathan Gregory Bush, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, Brittany Frances Gilbert, Angie Lane Harbour, Scott Edward Hudson, and Brian Dangelo Terry. The remaining three, Timothy Wayne Dodd, Douglas Jonathan Wesley and Leo Antoine Smith, were convicted at trial.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha and Putnam County Sheriff’s Departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Alex Hamner prosecuted the cases.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-00172, 2:21-cr-00171, and 2:21-cr-00211.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shawn Lamont Lane, 33, of Charleston, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 5, 2021, Lane was a passenger in a vehicle encountered by law enforcement officers in the South Hills section of Charleston. The officers subsequently found approximately 11 grams of methamphetamine and 1 gram of fentanyl in Lane’s pocket. Lane admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs. Lane further admitted to possessing a Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 9mm pistol and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine also found in the vehicle. Lane admitted that in furtherance of his drug trafficking, he possessed this firearm along with two others later found in a residence where he was staying: a Norinco SKS, 7.62x39mm rifle and an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15, .300 Blackout caliber rifle.
Lane also admitted that on July 15, 2021, he sold 21 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. The next day, July 16, 2021, Lane was stopped by law enforcement in a vehicle in which he was carrying another loaded handgun. Lane was again stopped by law enforcement, on July 20, 2021, and had over $2,300 in drug proceeds.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner 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. 2:21-cr-227.
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Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Michigan man was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 17, 2021, a woman at a Huntington bar called 911 to report that Terrell Jerome Greenlee, also known as Julian Johnson, 34, of Detroit, had brandished a firearm and pointed it at her. Responding law enforcement officers encountered Greenlee outside the bar and found a loaded Springfield XD 10mm handgun in his waistband. Greenlee admitted to possessing the firearm, and that it had been previously been reported as stolen.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Greenlee knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had been convicted of first-degree robbery in Cabell County Circuit Court on May 6, 2014.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans 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. 3:21-cr-224.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ricky Lee Taylor, also known as “RT,” 58, of Charleston, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Taylor admitted that he arranged a transaction involving cocaine base, also known as “crack,” during a telephone call with an individual in Huntington on May 11, 2021. After the transaction was arranged, Taylor traveled from Charleston to Huntington, met with the individual, and received the drugs. Taylor was subsequently stopped by law enforcement officers on Interstate 64 while returning to Charleston. Officers seized the crack, which Taylor admitted he intended to distribute, and a loaded .40 caliber pistol that Taylor also possessed during the traffic stop.
Taylor previously pleaded guilty to using a telephone to facilitate a felony controlled substance offense. The case is the result of a long-term investigation that disrupted the DTO and its distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and crack. All 18 defendants have pleaded guilty
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans 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. 3:21-cr-109.
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Raleigh County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley woman pleaded guilty today to the distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Brenda Crewey, 49, admitted to selling approximately four grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her residence on February 21, 2020. Crewey further admitted that she had been consistently selling methamphetamine and heroine over the previous year.
Crewey is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17, 2022 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit for conducting the investigation. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Alex Hamner and Andrew D. Isabell are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-42.
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Three Plead Guilty to Straw Purchasing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Three Beckley-area residents pleaded guilty today to federal charges involving multiple straw purchases of firearms.
Jaleel Delaney, 27, and Dejaha Morris, 23, pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms. Sequoyah Swain, 22, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting another individual in making false statements in acquisition of firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court:
- Delaney admitted to illegally straw purchasing a Glock, Model 19, 9mm pistol from a gun dealer in Beckley on May 4, 2021, to transfer to another individual who has been charged in a pending interstate gun trafficking conspiracy in the Southern District of West Virginia. Delaney further admitted to carrying out other straw purchases for this individual and others.
- Morris admitted that an individual who has been charged in a pending interstate gun trafficking conspiracy enlisted her to illegally straw purchase firearms in the Southern District of West Virginia and transfer them outside of West Virginia beginning in early 2000 and through at least mid-2021. Morris admitted that this individual directed her to buy a Taurus G3C, 9mm pistol in Beckley on October 17, 2020. Morris further admitted to carrying out at least eight straw purchases for this individual and others.
- Swain admitted to aiding and abetting an individual who has been charged in a pending interstate gun trafficking conspiracy in purchasing a Ruger Model Ruger 57, 5.7x28mm 5.7 caliber pistol in Beckley on April 18, 2021. Swain further admitted to recruiting other individuals to make similar straw purchases.
Delaney and Morris admitted to falsely certifying on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that they were the buyer of the firearms for their purchases when they knew they were buying the firearms for someone else.
“The law is clear: when you buy firearms for someone who cannot pass the required background check, you are committing a felony,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The background check system cannot work when “straw” purchasers buy firearms only to provide them to individuals who cannot buy firearms legally themselves. Our office is determined to stop this method of illegally putting firearms in the wrong hands.”
Sentencings are scheduled on November 17, 2022, for Swain and Delaney, and on December 9, 2022, for Morris. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Thompson commended the ATF’s investigative work in announcing the guilty pleas.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is prosecuting the cases.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:22-cr-81, 5:22-cr-82, and 5:22-cr-83
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Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Detroit man pleaded guilty today to the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Eugene W. Williams, also known as “Bo,” 45, admitted that he sold what he now knows was a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant near Mount Hope in Raleigh County on March 4, 2021. Williams further admitted that he sold another quantity of fentanyl to the same confidential informant on March 11, 2021.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison as well as at least three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit for conducting the investigation. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk 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-32.
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Woman Indicted in Connection with Fatal Nicholas County ShootingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson announced today that a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against a Nicholas County woman related to the June 3, 2022, shooting in which one Nicholas County sheriff’s deputy was killed and another was wounded.
Melanie Clodfelter, 41, of Summersville, is charged with knowingly making a false and fictitious oral and written statement by certifying that she was the transferee of a firearm, unlawfully selling or disposing of a firearm to a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm by someone who is an unlawful user of and addicted to methamphetamine and marijuana.
The indictment alleges that Clodfelter purchased a Radical Firearms, model RF-15, multi-caliber rifle in Nicholas County on November 17, 2021, and provided it that day to an individual identified in the indictment as “R.H.” A criminal complaint previously filed against Clodfelter identified the individual as Richie Holcomb, who was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a July 30, 2014, felony conviction for unlawful wounding in Webster County Circuit Court.
Nicholas County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Edward Baker III was killed and Corporal Joshua Ellison was wounded in an exchange of gunfire after responding to a domestic disturbance in the Birch River area on June 3, 2022. Holcomb, 36, was fatally shot in the incident.
Thompson 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner is handling the prosecution. Clodfelter faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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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Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Michigan man was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of heroin.
According to court documents, on February 13, 2020, William Pope, also known as “Shorty,” 47, of Detroit, sold a quantity of heroin to a confidential informant at a trailer where Pope was staying near Beckley. Pope admitted to selling the heroin and to selling what he now knows was fentanyl to a pair of confidential informants during separate transactions on February 6, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement, and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Detroit.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-111.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Eric Dale Mills, 45, of Beckley, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 26, 2021, law enforcement officers found more than 50 grams of fentanyl and a small amount of methamphetamine in a vehicle driven by Mills after conducing a traffic stop. Officers also found small bags for packaging and scales. Mills admitted that he possessed the fentanyl and that he intended to distribute it.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-252.
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Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Melissa Waller, 45, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to theft of Social Security benefits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Waller received Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits on behalf of a deceased relative. Waller admitted that she knew that she was not entitled to receive these SSA benefits once her relative passed away in April 2012. Between June 2012 and April 2020, Waller received $84,509 in federal benefits that she was not entitled to receive and converted those SSA benefits to her own use.
Waller is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2022, 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 Social Security Administration and the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-89.
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Fayette County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Joshua Lee Parsons, 42, of Powellton, admitted to ordering controlled substances on the dark web and having the controlled substances shipped to him at his residence. On February 24, 2021, the United States Customs and Border Protection at the John F. Kennedy International Mail Center in New York seized approximately 49 grams of heroin from an inbound international parcel addressed to Parsons and his residence. On March 1, 2021, the United States Customs and Border Protection at the John F. Kennedy International Mail Facility seized approximately 34 grams of MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy, from another inbound international parcel addressed to Parsons and his residence. On March 8, 2021, several law enforcement agencies conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel and executed a search warrant at Parsons’ residence. During the search, officers recovered a loaded Hi-Point .380-caliber handgun and multiple controlled substances including approximately 66 grams of methamphetamine packaged in 103 separate bags, approximately 27 grams of heroin, and quantities of MDMA, ketamine, LSD, psilocin, and DMT.
Parsons admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine. Parsons told officers that he had another parcel that contained methamphetamine that he ordered and had shipped to him at his residence. On March 15, 2021, law enforcement intercepted that parcel, which contained approximately 223 grams of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Customs and Border Protection, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the West Virginia State Police, the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, the Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the West Virginia National Guard Reconnaissance and Aerial Interdiction Detachment.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans 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-93.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 15, 2021, Ricky Lee Clark, Jr., 42, of St. Albans, was carrying a loaded Davis Industries, model P380, .380-caliber pistol in his waistband when law enforcement officers encountered him on a residential street in St. Albans.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Clark knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Kanawha County Circuit Court on June 24, 2020.
Clark is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2022, 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 St. Albans Police Department for conducting the investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for providing valuable assistance.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-59.
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Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Larry Arthur King, 39, of Arkansas, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the West Virginia State Police conducted a traffic stop on U.S. Route 119 in South Charleston on May 19, 2022. King was in the front passenger seat of the stopped vehicle. King later admitted to possessing approximately 690 grams of methamphetamine found in a backpack located in the vehicle, and further admitted that he intended to distribute that methamphetamine to other people. On the same date, officers executed a search warrant of a Charleston hotel room rented by King and found over 400 additional grams of methamphetamine, over 150 grams of fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine, and two pistols.
King is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up $5 million.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the DEA and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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-121.
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Parkersburg Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – John Michael Wells, II, 33, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wells was responsible for approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine being shipped from California to Parkersburg and distributed in the Parkersburg area. Wells admitted to paying and arranging for methamphetamine and marijuana to be shipped through the mail from California in October and November 2021. The methamphetamine and marijuana were subsequently distributed for sale by other individuals, who provided Wells with the cash proceeds. Wells used this cash to order more methamphetamine and marijuana from his suppliers.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Parkersburg Police Department, the Vienna Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, and the Parkersburg Violent Crimes and Narcotics Task Force.
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-266.
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Putnam County Man Sentenced to Prison for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Keegan Shane Stanley, 31, of Poca, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for transportation of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stanley admitted to uploading videos of child pornography to Dropbox, an online file sharing website, with his computer on May 9, 2021. After receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the Dropbox activity, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Stanley's residence on August 5, 2021. Officers seized the computer and other electronic devices during the search. A forensic analysis revealed over 1,600 images of child pornography on Stanley's computer. Stanley admitted to knowingly possessing the images, and further admitted than many depicted prepubescent minors while some depicted minors engaged in sadistic or masochistic 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) and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers 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. 3:21-cr-208.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and violating his supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 7, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Washington Avenue residence in Huntington. Edward Sample, also known as “Caine,” 37, of Baltimore, was located in the house along with other individuals. Officers seized a loaded Taurus G3C 9mm pistol, capsules which contained heroin and fentanyl, $1,620 in cash, digital scales and a cutting agent during the search. Sample admitted to possessing the firearm to protect his money and drugs. Sample further admitted to using the same firearm two days earlier to shoot at a house in the Cross Lanes area in order to collect a $50 drug debt. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department investigated that incident.
Samples was previously convicted of aiding and abetting an armed robbery and possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in United States District Court for the District of Maryland on January 21, 2011. Today’s nine-year prison sentence includes two additional years for committing crimes while on supervised release.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crimes and Drug Task Force, the Huntington Police Department and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Greg 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. 3:21-cr-58.
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Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A convicted sex offender residing at a Charleston homeless facility pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 25, 2020, James Gipson, 59, was in the common room of a homeless facility on Leon Sullivan Way when facility staff observed Gipson looking at child pornography on a laptop he possessed. The staff summoned police, who recovered the laptop. A forensic analysis found more than 300 images depicting child pornography on Gipson’s laptop. Gipson admitted that the laptop was his and that he knew he should not have possessed it.
Gipson was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on March 5, 2012. Gipson was on lifetime supervised release as a result of that conviction when he committed this new crime. Gipson was also a registered sex offender at the time of this incident as a result of the 2012 conviction.
Gipson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison as well as at least five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Charleston Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department for conducting and assisting in the investigation. Thompson also credited the shelter staff for being vigilant in protecting their facility and its residents.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott 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. 2:21-cr-92.
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Two More Plead Guilty to Participating in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Pennsylvania man and a West Virginia woman pleaded guilty today to roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
Derrick Woodard, also known as “D,” 26, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Stephanie Cohernour, 33, of Fayetteville, pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Woodard admitted to traveling to Beckley with Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” and several other co-defendants on October 17, 2020, to obtain firearms with plans to resell them for profit in Philadelphia. Cohernour admitted to straw purchasing firearms in Beckley for Jones, and that through an intermediary Jones provided the money for her to buy the firearms and told her which ones to buy.
Cohernour admitted to buying a Glock Model 19 Gen 5, 9mm pistol and a Glock, Model 19X, 9mm pistol for Jones on April 12, 2021. Cohernour admitted to lying on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 when she certified that she was the buyer of the firearms, knowing she was purchasing the firearms for someone else.
Jones is separately charged in the gun trafficking conspiracy indictment, which alleges that Cohernour and other straw purchasers bought over 130 firearms in or near Beckley during the scheme and delivered them to others in the conspiracy for transfer to Philadelphia. More than 40 of the firearms have been recovered in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent crimes.
Co-defendants Arileah Lacy, also known as “Leah,” and Terri Lawhorn previously pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms. The case remains pending against Jones and four other co-defendants. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Woodard and Cohernour are scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2022. Woodard faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Cohernour 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 ATF’s investigative work.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani 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-46.
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Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Nigerian Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman was sentenced today to three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for her role as a money mule in a Nigerian fraud scheme that scammed money from individuals, many of whom were elderly. Patricia Dudding, 70, was also ordered to pay $1,788,589.24 in restitution
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dudding admitted that she received and wired fraudulent funds through numerous accounts she set up in her name at several different banks from May 2018 through July 2019. Dudding admitted that she did so at the direction of an individual she met online and knew as “Lucas Bennito Antonio” or “Lucas.” Dudding received numerous deposits in those bank accounts from “Lucas” and other individuals located in the United States and abroad. Dudding, and unnamed co-conspirators, would then transfer these funds to bank accounts located in Nigeria.
Dudding further admitted that she became aware that the activities of “Lucas” were not legitimate. A series of employees at the various banks questioned Dudding about her transactions, and in several instances closed her accounts for suspected fraud. To further the scheme, Dudding made false and fraudulent representations to these financial institutions to make it appear that the wire transfers were being sent for legitimate purposes. On April 26, 2019, Dudding sent a wire transfer of $39,000 from her account to an individual in Montana. Upon questioning by a bank employee, Dudding lied about the wire transfer to aid Lucas in completing the transfer of funds to the designated recipient in Montana.
Dudding further admitted that she withdrew victim funds for her personal benefit. According to Dudding, she used the funds to pay her utility and satellite television service. She also used the funds to purchase groceries, drug store items, gasoline, department store items, and restaurant meals. Dudding also made numerous cash withdrawals.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson prosecuted the case.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.
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-1.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the distribution of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Deandre Antonio Ziegler, 31, who is also known as “Little D,” admitted to distributing crack to an undercover informant on five different occasions in July and August 2020.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department Drug Unit and the FBI’s Southern West Virginia Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) West Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans 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. 3:21-cr-17.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Curtis Ray Pelfrey, Jr., 36, admitted that he used eDonkey, an online file sharing program, from November 2018 to December 2019 to download and share videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Pelfrey further admitted that on October 7, 2019, he used his computer to receive videos containing child pornography. Pelfrey admitted that 24 videos and five images he possessed on his computer depicted minors engages in sexually explicit conduct. Several of the images and videos have been identified as depicting known children. Pelfrey admitted that he engaged in this sort of activity since 2014.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers 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. 3:21-cr-244.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Role in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to 17 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott Lee Midkiff, 36, admitted that he participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy from the summer of 2020 to July 2021. During the conspiracy, Midkiff frequently obtained quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to distribute to various customers in the Huntington area. Midkiff provided the drugs to customers on consignment and was aware his customers intended to redistribute the drugs. Midkiff also admitted that he participated in arranging drug transactions by steering customers to certain drug dealers when customers would contact him.
On April 5, 2021, investigators seized over 1.2 pounds of methamphetamine, 130 grams of fentanyl and $84,000 in cash that Midkiff had arranged to be hidden in a vehicle parked in Huntington. When a search warrant was executed in the investigation on July 29, 2021, agents seized an additional 133 grams of fentanyl and $11,600 from a residence Midkiff shared with another individual.
Midkiff previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The case is the result of a long-term investigation that disrupted the DTO and its distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” All 18 defendants have pleaded guilty.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force is comprised of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans 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. 3:21-cr-109.
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Logan County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Logan County woman was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pamela Sue Gillman, 52, sold fentanyl and heroin to an undercover informant on three occasions in October and November 2020. Gillman also admitted that in September 2021, she possessed 8 grams of fentanyl and 1.8 grams of heroin that she intended to distribute.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans 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-168.
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