Southern District of West Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
Charleston, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents, Andrew Troy Tanner, 38, admitted that on September 17, 2018, he met with a confidential informant to sell methamphetamine. Tanner contacted his supplier while he was with the confidential informant to obtain the methamphetamine. Tanner admitted that he facilitated the distribution of approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant.
Tanner pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on August 25, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Cremeans is handling the prosecution.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.
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. 2:20-cr-0152.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tyson Davis, Sr., 42, of Huntington pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a 9th Avenue residence in Huntington and found Davis seated on the couch. Officers recovered a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol from under a cushion on the couch. Officers also located distribution amounts of a heroin and fentanyl mixture and methamphetamine. Later in a Mirandized interview, Davis admitted to possessing the firearm.
Davis faces a minimum mandatory five years in prison when sentenced on August 16, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and R. Gregory McVey are handling the prosecution.
The Huntington Violent Crime Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.
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. 3:19-cr-0140.
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Huntington Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Aubrey Gardner, 28, of Huntington pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on February 8, 2021, Gardner was a passenger in a vehicle that officers with the Huntington Police Department pulled over in the 2800 block of 8th Avenue. The officers found a firearm in the waistband of Gardner’s pants. Gardner was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law because of a 2018 federal conviction in the Southern District of West Virginia for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.
Gardner faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 16, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.
The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing.
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-00049.
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Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit, Michigan man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents, Brandon William Jones, 42, admitted that on October 29, 2020, a confidential informant working with law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of approximately 10.8 grams of suspected heroin for $1000 from Jones in the parking lot of 3090 16th Street Road in Huntington. After meeting the confidential informant, officers followed Jones to the area of 1584 Hal Greer Boulevard and arrested him. Officers found additional suspected heroin on Jones and the $1000 used in the controlled purchase. Jones also admitted that he was responsible for selling at least 20 kilograms of heroin in the Huntington area.
Jones pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on August 16, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey is handling the prosecution.
The Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.
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-00029.
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Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge.
According to court documents, on December 18, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Beaver residence of Frederick Van-Horn, 42, and found a 9mm handgun, ammunition, $1,697 in U.S. currency and cocaine base. Van-Horn admitted that he possessed more than 23 grams of “crack” cocaine and to having sold fentanyl to confidential informants.
Van-Horn pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 27, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is prosecuting the case.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.
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-00052.
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Boone County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Boone County woman pleaded guilty today to a federal methamphetamine charge.
According to court documents, Sherri Hill, 57, admitted that she possessed more than 100 grams of methamphetamine on June 25, 2020, on U.S. 119 in Boone County. Law enforcement officers stopped Hill shortly after she purchased the methamphetamine. Hill was subsequently interviewed and admitted to having dealt methamphetamine for several years throughout the state.
Hill pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison when she is sentenced on August 18, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is prosecuting the case.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.
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. 2:20-cr-0194.
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Ohio Man Convicted of Sex Offense Against a MinorRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A federal jury convicted an Ohio man today of traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor. Makel Elboghdady, 36, of Columbus, Ohio, was charged by a single-count Indictment in May 2020.
Evidence at trial revealed that Elboghdady traveled on February 28, 2020 from Columbus, Ohio to Huntington to meet a woman in order to engage in sexual activity with her purported minor daughters. Elboghdady believed the girls were 11 and 13 years old. When he arrived in Huntington and met with the person he believed to be the mother of the girls, Elboghdady was placed under arrest.
Elboghdady faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 16, 2021. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“Thanks to a proactive investigation in this case by the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and our commitment to combatting child sexual exploitation, Elboghdady was charged and convicted of traveling in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor. This case should serve as a warning to offenders that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will work together to hold you accountable and bring you to justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Julie White handled the prosecution.
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. 3:20-cr-00069.
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Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Detroit, Michigan man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Kaleb Wuopio, 26, was involved in a drug distribution enterprise operating in Kanawha County from April through June 2018. Wuopio admitted that he distributed fentanyl, heroin and cocaine base in exchange for cash during that timeframe. On June 21, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Wuopio’s Charleston residence. During the search, the officers located heroin, cash proceeds from drug sales, other drug distribution tools, such as scales, and two loaded handguns.
Wuopio pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on August 19, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman and Negar M. Kordestani are handling the prosecution.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the hearing.
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. 2:20-cr-00115.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Antoine Miller, 36, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller admitted that on April 28, 2020, he possessed a Ruger 9 mm handgun at Renaissance Circle in Charleston. Miller is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of a prior federal Hobbs Act conspiracy conviction, for which he spent over 10 years in federal prison.
Miller pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on September 7, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Steve Loew is handling the prosecution.
The Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing.
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. 2:20-cr-00092.
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Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate ThreatRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Illinois man pleaded guilty today to sending a threatening message through social media to a West Virginia law enforcement officer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 8, 2019, Rodney Hanson, 37, sent a threatening Facebook message to a law enforcement officer in Putnam County after a police involved shooting.
Hanson pleaded guilty to transmitting an interstate threatening communication and faces a maximum of five years in prison when sentenced on August 9, 2021.
Johnston made the announcement and praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00169.
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Former Whitesville Pharmacy to Pay Civil Monetary Penalties to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Mountaineer Drug, Inc. (“MDI”), which operated a pharmacy in Whitesville, Boone County, has agreed to pay civil monetary penalties to resolve allegations that the pharmacy violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by filling illegitimate prescriptions. MDI ceased operations at the Whitesville location in October 2019 during the course of the federal investigation. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, MDI agreed to pay $250,000 to resolve allegations that from in or about January 2015 to in or about January 2019, the pharmacy filled prescriptions for Schedule II and Schedule III controlled substances from the Whitesville location that were not valid. The United States contends that during this time MDI filled these prescriptions “knowing or having reason to know that they were not written for a legitimate purpose in violation of 21 C.F.R. §§ 1306.04(a) and 1306.06 and 21 U.S.C. § 842(a)(1),” according to the settlement agreement. The CSA prohibits the distribution or dispensing of a controlled substance without a valid prescription. A valid prescription for a controlled substance must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of his or her practice. Based on the investigation, the United States maintains that MDI’s pharmacists knew or had reason to know that patients had presented illegitimate prescriptions that should not have been filled.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of West Virginia is committed to putting an end to drug diversion and to working with our partners at DEA and HHS-OIG to hold all DEA registrants accountable,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.
“As our nation reels from a staggering rise in overdose deaths, the Drug Enforcement Administration remains committed to stopping those unscrupulous medical professionals who put personal greed above patient care,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division.
“Pharmacists play an important role in health care and are expected to review prescriptions carefully,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA to investigate allegations of illegitimate prescriptions.”
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Alan G. McGonigal and Gregory P. Neil.
The settlement is a result of the United States Attorney’s Healthcare Fraud Abuse, Recovery and Response Team (ARREST), an innovative approach linking civil and criminal enforcement efforts together in a comprehensive attack on the opioid epidemic and healthcare fraud.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston Recognizes Law Enforcement Officers During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
Charleston Police Officer Cassie Marie Johnson’s name added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state and, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021.
“This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of law enforcement and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and eternal gratitude.”
“I am extremely grateful for the brave men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to protect all of us. I thank each of them for their daily sacrifices,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Johnston. “During National Police Week we recognize and pay tribute to the officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to the families of West Virginia officers Cassie Marie Johnson and Levin Oliver Zimmerman, whose names were inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this year. I know the entire Charleston community still mourns the loss of Charleston Police Officer Cassie Johnson, a close friend and colleague who was killed in the line of duty in December 2020. Her death was a true tragedy, and a reminder that all investigations have risk.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.
During the Roll Call of Heroes, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60 percent succumbed to COVID-19. Here in the Southern District of West Virginia, one law enforcement officer died in the line of duty in 2020. Among the 394 names of law enforcement officers added this year to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., are two West Virginia law enforcement officers – Charleston Police Officer Cassie Marie Johnson (EOW 12/03/2020) and Great Cacapon Constable Levin Oliver Zimmerman (EOW 12/02/1955).
Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020. LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website.
The names of the 394 fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual Candlelight Vigil, which will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm EDT. The Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been rescheduled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns to October 13-17, 2021. An in-person Candlelight Vigil event is scheduled for October 14, 2021.
Those who wish to view the Virtual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, 2021, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF. The FOP’s Roll Call of Heroes can be viewed at www.fop.net. To view the schedule of virtual Police Week events in May, please view NLEOMF’s Police Week Flyer.
To learn more about National Police Week in-person events scheduled for October, please visit www.policeweek.org.
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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offense Against A MinorRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today to travel in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor. Gregory Thomas O’Connor, 47, of Stahlstown, Pennsylvania was charged by a single-count Information in April 2021.
According to the plea agreement, O’Connor admitted that on August 7, 2020, he initiated contact with a person on a Kik Messaging group for West Virginia teens. Believing a person to be a 13-year-old girl from Beckley, O’Connor engaged in conversations over the next six weeks wherein he told the minor he wanted to meet her to engage in sexual activity. O’Connor also coached her on masturbation and watching pornography in order to prepare for their sexual encounter. On September 2, 2020, O’Connor intended to travel to Beckley to meet the minor. He drove from Pennsylvania to Fairmont, but then had to turn around due to a work emergency. Following that time, he continued to discuss traveling at a future date to meet the girl for sexual activity.
If the plea agreement is accepted by the Court, O’Connor will be sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release when he is sentenced in September 2021. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.
The FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force handled the investigation. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00073.
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Fayette County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, on December 3, 2015, Eddie McKinney, 33, of Mt. Hope, distributed child pornography using peer-to-peer file sharing software on his computer. He also admitted that he knowingly possessed and distributed to others images depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On March 23, 2016, law enforcement officers recovered hundreds of images of child pornography, including prepubescent child pornography, from his home. McKinney pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White handled the prosecution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00142.
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Wood County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Wood County man, Evan Rockwell McEwuen, 24, of Vienna, pleaded guilty today to federal drug and gun charges.
According to court documents, a search warrant was executed at McEwuen’s residence in Vienna on August 5, 2020. McEwuen was located in the residence at the time of the search and law enforcement officers found 149 grams of methamphetamine, over $14,000 in United States currency, plastic baggies, digital scales and four firearms in the room where McEwuen was located. One firearm was loaded and was equipped with a device designed to convert the firearm into a machine gun. A subsequent inspection confirmed that the firearm was successfully converted into a machine gun and was capable of fully automatic fire. Officers also found approximately 143 grams of additional methamphetamine along with a sawed-off shotgun, plastic baggies and digital scales in a truck and construction trailer parked outside of McEwuen’s residence. In total, officers located over 2000 rounds of ammunition during the execution of the search warrant. McEwuen admitted to possessing all the evidence located in the residence and also admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to others. He was not legally permitted to possess firearms due to a 2016 felony conviction in the Circuit Court of Wood County for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
McEwuen pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and to being a felon in possession of firearms and faces between 15 and 20 years in prison when sentenced on August 18, 2021. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe and Joshua C. Hanks are handling the prosecution.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation with assistance from the Vienna Police Department, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Parkersburg Violent Crimes and Narcotics Task Force and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the hearing.
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. 2:20-cr-00166.
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Point Pleasant Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Point Pleasant man pleaded guilty today to a federal child sex trafficking offense.
According to court documents, Dale Randall McCarthy, Jr., 51, admitted that on August 8, 2020, he agreed with a man he met online to pay $100 to have sex with a 14-year-old girl that would be supplied by the other man. McCarthy met with the man at a motel in Dunbar and paid the man $40 up front for sex with the girl, with the remainder to be paid after the sexual activity. After paying the man $40, McCarthy was placed under arrest. McCarthy further admitted that he had previously used Craigslist to communicate with minors about meeting for sexual activity. In one such conversation, McCarthy admitted to requesting and receiving a sexually explicit image of a person who stated they were a minor.
McCarthy pleaded guilty to attempted sex trafficking of a minor and faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on August 12, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and praised the investigative work of the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the hearing.
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. 2:20-cr-00160.
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Cabell County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Cabell County woman pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge.
According to court documents, on January 9, 2021, Kassie McNeeley, 21, of Lesage, delivered a package of methamphetamine for Myreo Dixon to an individual in an apartment on Crestmont Drive in Charleston. Dixon had directed McNeeley to deliver the package and collect $31,500 as payment for the methamphetamine. McNeeley utilized her cell phone to maintain contact with Dixon throughout the drug deal by texting him multiple times. When McNeeley left the apartment in her vehicle, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop and seized the $31,500 in drug proceeds.
McNeeley pleaded guilty to use of a telephone to facilitate drug trafficking and faces up to four years in prison when she is sentenced on August 12, 2021. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of a long-term investigation, dubbed the “Woo Boyz,” which resulted in federal charges against 15 individuals and was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police. The Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) provided critical support to the investigative agencies.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00032.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to court documents, Harold Arthur Thompson, 30, previously admitted that on September 14, 2019, he was in a vehicle that was pulled over by a Putnam County Sheriff’s Deputy. During the traffic stop, Thompson exited the vehicle and attempted to conceal a plastic bag that contained 2.9 grams of methamphetamine and 2.5 grams of heroin after he removed it from his pants pocket by kicking it underneath his vehicle. Thompson admitted to possession of the heroin and methamphetamine and that both substances were packaged in individual plastic bags for sale. Thompson also admitted that he possessed digital scales and packaging materials.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00151.
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Akron Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Federal Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Akron, Ohio, man pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy.
According to court documents, Tionte Lavon Blanchard, 25, admitted that from the fall of 2018 to June 2019, he and others participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine that was frequently shipped from Akron to various locations in West Virginia. During the conspiracy, Blanchard utilized a residence on 25th Street in Huntington to store methamphetamine after it arrived from Akron. On June 6, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence and seized over 1.7 kilograms of 100% pure methamphetamine. Blanchard admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine and intended to distribute it in the Huntington area.
Blanchard pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on August 9, 2021.
This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.
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. 3:19-cr-000245.
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Operation Second Wave Update: Huntington Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Jimmie Lee Coleman, 35, was prosecuted as part of “Operation Second Wave,” which dismantled a poly-drug network operating in Kanawha and Fayette counties.
According to court documents, Coleman admitted selling more than a 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine as part of his role in the organization.
Other defendants, including Carol Belton, Sammy Joe Fragale, Sr., Larry Martin, Rashawn Miller, and Jason Terrell have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Gregory Woods was sentenced to 184 months in federal prison on February 8, 2021. Sammy Joe Fragale, II, was sentenced on January 6, 2021 to 42 months in federal prison. Steven Matthew Bumpus, Roger Jarea Drake, and Tonya Simerly are awaiting court dates to enter guilty pleas. Craig Redman and Ronald Lee Thomas III are scheduled for trial on June 1, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks handled the prosecution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force (CWVDTF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), who led the investigation of Sammy Joe Fragale, Sr., and Sammy Joe Fragale II, also prosecuted as part of the Second Wave investigation.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-00045 (Miller), 2:20-cr-00153 (Woods), and 2:20-cr-00154 (Terrell et al).
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to a federal methamphetamine charge.
According to court documents, Deshawn Derese Nelson, 51, admitted that he possessed more than 18 grams of methamphetamine and a small amount of fentanyl on December 26, 2018 on Broadway Avenue in Parkersburg. Officers with the Parkersburg Police Department stopped Nelson for speeding and found the drugs hidden in the leg of his pants when they arrested him for a capias issued by the Cabell County Circuit Court.
Nelson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 11, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force and the Parkersburg Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is prosecuting the case.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.
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. 2:20-cr-0062.
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Charleston Woman Sentenced for Role in Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman was sentenced today to eight months of home confinement and five years of probation for her role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $48,509.
According to court documents, Lois Brotherton, 65, once provided bookkeeping and accounting services to a Kanawha County non-profit organization that formally dissolved in 2014. In 2019, Lois Brotherton asked her daughter, Misty Brotherton-Tanner, to write her checks from the non-profit’s bank account. Lois Brotherton knew she was not entitled to those funds and that there were no funds available for her use. Misty Brotherton-Tanner agreed to steal the money and provide it to her mother. Lois Brotherton would receive the checks as though the non-profit organization had paid her money and would then electronically deposit the stolen money into her personal account. To cover the wire fraud, Misty Brotherton-Tanner would electronically transfer money from three different companies for which she provided accounting services without the companies’ knowledge, consent, or permission. As a result of this fraud scheme, Lois Brotherton conspired to steal at least $48,509.
Misty Brotherton-Tanner, 41, also of Charleston, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 13, 2021 to two felony counts of wire fraud and one felony count of money laundering. Brotherton-Tanner’s guilty plea related to this scheme with Lois Brotherton as well as other criminal activity that she was engaged in apart from her mother. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2021 and faces up to 50 years in prison, a $750,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Brotherton-Tanner has also agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $537,173.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and praised the investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the West Virginia State Tax Department-Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik Goes and Katie Robeson prosecuted the case.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:20-cr-00147 (Brotherton) and 2:20-cr-00146 (Brotherton-Tanner).
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Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, Timothy Paul Rapson, 39, admitted to distributing child pornography on December 31, 2019 using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. The investigation further revealed that Rapson possessed over 73,000 images and videos of prepubescent child pornography.
Rapson pleaded guilty to distribution of prepubescent minor child pornography and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on July 26, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and praised the investigative work of the Parkersburg Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is handling the prosecution.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.
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. 2:20-cr-000175.
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Inmate Sentenced for Having Weapon at FCI McDowellRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. - An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell was sentenced today for possessing a weapon at the correctional facility. Corey Fair, 27, of Indiana, was sentenced to 12 months in prison to run consecutively to the sentence he currently is serving.
According to court documents, on January 26, 2020, Fair possessed a handcrafted weapon known as a shank. A staff member at the prison found the five and one-half inch piece of metal sharpened on one end in Fair’s pocket during a random search. The staff member then recovered the weapon. Fair admitted that the shank was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecution.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-000202.
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Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge.
According to court documents, on November 24, 2020, Erica Ratliff, 36, met her drug source of supply at the Family Dollar store on Bigley Avenue and purchased three ounces of methamphetamine. After Ratliff left the parking lot of the Family Dollar store, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on her vehicle. The officers recovered the methamphetamine that Ratliff had just purchased as well as other controlled substances she had on her person. Ratliff admitted that she intended to distribute the methamphetamine.
Ratliff pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison when she is sentenced on July 21, 2021. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of a long-term investigation, dubbed the “Woo Boyz,” which resulted in federal charges against 15 individuals and was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police. The Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) provided critical support to the investigative agencies.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00033.
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Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Environmental CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christopher Hall, 43, of Pikeville, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to violating the Clean Water Act.
According to court documents, Hall managed the town of Matewan’s Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), a facility designed to collect and remove domestic sewage sludge from wastewater and then properly treat the wastewater. After the water is treated and tested, the water can be safely discharged into the Tug Fork River. The removed sludge is to be dried and then properly disposed in a landfill designated to receive dried sewage sludge. It is a requirement of the Clean Water Act that the sludge removal process and disposal must be reported every month to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to ensure proper operation of the treatment facility. As manager of the POTW, Hall was responsible for monitoring the sludge removal and accurately reporting its monthly removal to a landfill.
On August 20, 2018, Hall falsely reported in a sludge management report that five tons of sludge had been removed from the Matewan POTW, properly dried, and then disposed at a permitted landfill. In fact, no sludge had been removed from the facility. Hall admitted to submitting a total of ten false sludge management reports indicating that a total of 55 tons of sludge had been removed from the facility and disposed in the landfill from July 2017 to June 2018. Hall further admitted that he knew all ten reports were false and that no sludge was disposed of at a landfill when he submitted the false reports.
Hall pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a sludge management report and faces a maximum possible sentence of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, one year of supervised release, and an order of restitution when he is sentenced on July 22, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. EPA Attorney Perry McDaniel and Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00048.
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Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Charleston, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms offense that was charged in an indictment in February 2021.
According to court documents, Casey Douglas Saunders, 30, was in possession of three semi-automatic pistols and one semi-automatic rifle at his residence in Parkersburg on May 14, 2020. The firearms were located by law enforcement officers who entered Saunders’ residence in order to arrest him on an outstanding warrant for violating his parole on several prior felony convictions. Saunders had previously absconded from parole that he was serving pursuant to felony convictions in Wood County Circuit Court for burglary, delivery of a controlled substance and escape. Saunders’ escape conviction was the result of him stealing and then fleeing in the police vehicle of a law enforcement officer who had attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. Saunders is not legally permitted to possess firearms due to his previous felony convictions.
Saunders pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced on August 4, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The Parkersburg Violent Crimes and Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Parkersburg Police Department. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.
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-00014.
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Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Detroit man pleaded guilty today to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute the drug in Raleigh County.
According to court documents, on December 17, 2020, Martinis Irving, 44, of Detroit Michigan, was stopped on Interstate 77 near Beckley for speeding in a construction zone. After he was stopped, a drug dog alerted to the presence of drugs in the car being driven by Irving. Law enforcement officers then obtained a search warrant for the car and discovered approximately 1,100 grams of heroin hidden in the car. Irving ultimately admitted that the recovered heroin was his and that it was his intent to distribute the heroin within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Irving pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and faces a mandatory minimum period of at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on August 6, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which is comprised of officers from the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, the Beckley Police Department and the West Virginia State Police, conducted the investigation.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.
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-00011.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man was sentenced today to 45 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Isaiah Lamont Shaw, 21, was previously charged as a result of a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
According to court documents, on October 30, 2019, Shaw met a confidential informant near a shopping center in Raleigh County and sold him more than five grams of methamphetamine. Shaw sold methamphetamine to the same confidential informant on four other occasions. Each transaction occurred within the Southern District of West Virginia. The drugs sold by defendant were tested by the DEA Drug Lab which established that the methamphetamine was between 92% and 98% pure.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the FBI and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00124.
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Two Charleston Men Plead Guilty to Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Charleston men that were arrested on criminal complaints in February 2021 pleaded guilty today to federal gun charges.
According to court documents, Devonte Lavauhn Andrews, 28, was stopped by officers with the Charleston Police Department on January 24, 2021 while walking on Hale Street. At the time, Andrews had a Taurus PT 738 .380 ACP loaded firearm behind his back. Andrews has a 2016 federal felony conviction for distribution of heroin and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Also according to court documents, on February 10, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Charleston residence of William Edward Byers II, 44, and located five firearms. Byers is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2016 felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for conspiracy to manufacture, deliver or possess a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance.
Andrews and Byers both pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and are scheduled to be sentenced on July 22 and July 21, 2021, respectively. Each faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston of the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The long-term investigation, dubbed the “Woo Boyz,” resulted in federal charges against 15 individuals and was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police. The Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) provided critical support to the investigative agencies.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is prosecuting the cases.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-00046 (Andrews) and 2:21-cr-00047 (Byers).
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for gun and drug crimes including distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Rahmell Rashaad Thomas, 32, sold approximately four ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant from his residence in Charleston on March 5, 2020. Shortly after that transaction, law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for the same residence and conducted a search. Approximately 341 additional grams of methamphetamine were located inside along with a Lorcin .380 semi-automatic pistol and United States currency. Thomas later admitted to possessing those items, and to selling methamphetamine in the Charleston area for at least three months prior to his arrest. He admitted to obtaining methamphetamine in one pound increments from a source in Morgantown which he would then bring back to Charleston to sell. Thomas has a prior felony conviction in the state of New York for attempted assault in the second degree which prohibits him from possessing firearms.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement and commended the work of the Charleston Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Marshals Service.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00074.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A St. Albans man pleaded guilty today to federal drug and gun crimes.
According to court documents, Ricky Lee Clark, Sr., 53, admitted that on July 2, 2019, a member of the St. Albans Police Department pulled over his truck, which was being driven by a woman, but in which he was the passenger. Clark admitted that handgun ammunition was recovered from the truck and he had approximately thirteen grams of methamphetamine in his pocket. Clark also admitted that pursuant to the execution of a search warrant at his residence, the police recovered six firearms later that day. Clark is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a prior felony conviction for conspiring to operate a clandestine drug laboratory.
Clark pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms and being a felon in possession of ammunition. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2021 and faces up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston of the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The St. Albans Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Marshals Service. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00034.
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Two Plead Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two defendants pleaded guilty to federal drug charges today before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
Travis Lee Cloninger, 30, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cloninger’s Wayne County home on June 5, 2019 and seized 340 grams of methamphetamine and 453 grams of heroin. Cloninger admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine and heroin. Cloninger faces at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 19, 2021. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.
In a separate case, Tuniesia Monique Adams, 43, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2017. According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on November 29, 2016 Adams transported 382 30mg oxycodone pills from Detroit to Fort Gay in Wayne County where she intended to sell the pills with the help of another individual. When Adams met with the individual, they were approached by law enforcement officers who discovered and seized the pills. Adams admitted that she intended to sell the pills and that she had made previous trips from Detroit to sell pills in Wayne County. Adams faces up to 20 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on July 19, 2021. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation with assistance from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department and the Huntington Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:21-cr-00044 (Cloninger) and 3:17-cr-00059 (Adams).
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Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Keith Morris, 33, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of firearms and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams of fentanyl. Morris was charged in a Superseding Indictment returned by a federal grand jury in November 2020.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on or about January 23, 2020, after responding to a two-vehicle crash in Charleston, officers with the Charleston Police Department (CPD) located 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a loaded Glock, model 26, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in Morris’s car. In addition, on or about August 7, 2020, officers with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) seized 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a loaded SCCY CPX-1 9mm caliber from Morris’s car after conducting a traffic stop in Charleston. Morris admitted he intended to distribute the controlled substances that had been seized from him. Morris further admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because he previously had been convicted of the felony offenses of attempted murder and wanton endangerment with a firearm in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Morris faces up to 40 years in prison when sentenced on July 19, 2021.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00167.
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Hurricane Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
HURRICANE, W.Va. – Shea Owen Marsh, 32, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography. Marsh was charged in a single-count Information in April 2021. Marsh was previously indicted last August for possessing child pornography.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Marsh downloaded videos and images of child pornography onto his cell phone several times while at his residence in Hurricane.
Marsh faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on July 19, 2021.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott is handling the prosecution.
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. 3:20-cr-00126 and 3:21-cr-00043.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Adam Matthew Denson, 33, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Denson was charged in a single-count Information in March 2021.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Denson conspired with other persons to distribute methamphetamine on three separate occasions in Charleston in August 2019.
Denson faces up to 40 years in prison when sentenced on July 14, 2021.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00040.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jalen Chapman, 28, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chapman was charged in a Superseding Indictment returned by a federal grand jury in December 2019.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on or about September 29, 2018, officers with the Charleston Police Department arrested Chapman on outstanding warrants at a residence on Barber Drive in Charleston. Officers later searched the residence and seized two firearms, a .45 caliber Sig Sauer 1911 pistol and a .38 Special Taurus revolver, that Chapman admitted belonged to him. Chapman further admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearms because he was previously convicted of a felony drug trafficking offense in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Chapman faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on July 12, 2021.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-00058.
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Mount Lookout Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brian Jacob Taylor, 34, of Mount Lookout, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. A federal grand jury indicted Taylor in February 2021.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an officer with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department arrived at Taylor’s residence to serve Taylor with a warrant for his arrest concerning an unrelated charge. Taylor asked the officer if he could put a shirt on and secure his dog before being transported to the police station. While inside Taylor’s residence, the officer observed a loaded shotgun and marijuana in plain view. Later that same day, officers obtained and executed a search warrant for Taylor’s residence and located two loaded firearms as well as several controlled substances, including methamphetamine, a heroin-fentanyl mixture and marijuana. Taylor was prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of a prior felony conviction in the Circuit Court of Nicholas County for delivery of a controlled substance.
Taylor faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced on July 26, 2021.
The Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00019.
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Logan County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Logan County man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge. Terrindez Xsidrick Bryant, 36, pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.
On June 24, 2019, law enforcement officers coordinated a controlled buy at a residence in Verdunville. Bryant came to the residence where he sold approximately 25.5 grams of methamphetamine.
Bryant faces a minimum of five years in prison when sentenced on July 26, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston commended the investigative efforts of the West Virginia State Police and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-00244.
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Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Several local businesses defrauded of over $500,000
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Misty Brotherton-Tanner, 41, of Charleston entered a guilty plea in federal court to two felony counts of wire fraud and one felony count of money laundering. She faces up to 50 years in prison, a $750,000 fine and three years of supervised release when she is sentenced on July 15, 2021. Brotherton-Tanner has also agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $537,173.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Misty Brotherton-Tanner provided bookkeeping and accounting services for several local businesses in the Charleston area. From at least 2014 until 2020, Misty Brotherton-Tanner devised a scheme to defraud these businesses. Brotherton-Tanner would electronically transfer money and move the electronic transactions between accounts in such a way so as to hide her fraud under the guise of legitimate transactions Brotherton-Tanner was not permitted to pay herself from these business accounts. Brotherton-Tanner’s fraud included listing herself as an employee for the various businesses, setting up fraudulent accounts in the name of fictional workers that Brotherton-Tanner would then add to the business accounting software, and even misrepresenting that she had paid state and federal taxes for the business when she had not done so. All throughout the scheme, Brotherton-Tanner moved the transferred money into her personal checking accounts. In total, Misty Brotherton-Tanner defrauded various businesses of $537,173.
Misty Brotherton-Tanner also stole money on behalf of and at the request of her mother, Lois Brotherton, who also has entered a guilty plea in federal court for her role in the scheme. Lois Brotherton will be sentenced April 28, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the West Virginia State Tax Department-Criminal Investigation Division for their excellent work in this case.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the guilty plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Kathleen Robeson are handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00146.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christopher Ryan Christian Counts, 29, of Charleston, was sentenced to 204 months in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release for possession of child pornography. Counts pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2020.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Counts possessed 259 images and 14 videos of child pornography, many of which depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the images and videos contained scenes depicting minors and infants engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct. Counts has two prior sex offense convictions in Kanawha County Circuit Court involving young children.
Acting Lisa G. Johnston applauded the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Task Force Officer Michelle Shaffer coordinated the investigation and Counts’ arrest. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White handled the prosecution.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00130.
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Operation Second Wave Update: Columbus Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Columbus, Ohio man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Rashawn Akmed Miller, 37, was one of 14 defendants charged as a result of a long-term investigation known as “Second Wave,” which dismantled a poly-drug network operating in Kanawha and Fayette counties.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Miller brokered a deal between a Columbus, Ohio supplier and Jason Michael Terrell along with Roger Jarea Drake. Terrell and Drake traveled from Kanawha County to Columbus where Miller introduced them to the supplier who sold them approximately two pounds of methamphetamine. Terrell and Drake returned to West Virginia where they distributed the methamphetamine.
Miller faces between five and forty years in prison when he is sentenced on July 27, 2021.
Other defendants, including Carol Belton, Jimmie Coleman, Sammy Joe Fragale, Sr., Sammy Joe Fragale II, Larry Martin, and Jason Terrell have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Gregory Woods was sentenced to 184 months in federal prison on February 8, 2021. Steven Matthew Bumpus, Roger Jarea Drake, Craig Redman, Tonya Simerly, and Ronald Lee Thomas III are scheduled for trial on June 1, 2021.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force (CWVDTF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), who led the investigation of Sammy Joe Fragale, Sr., and Sammy Joe Fragale II, also prosecuted as part of the Second Wave investigation. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-00045 (Miller), 2:20-cr-00153 (Woods), and 2:20-cr-00154 (Terrell et al).
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Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Rafael Starks, 36, of Detroit, Michigan pleaded guilty today to an indictment charging him with aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin. Starks was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2018.
Starks admitted that on August 1, 2018, he and another individual sold heroin to a confidential informant in the 1100 block of 9th Avenue in Huntington.
Starks faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 12, 2021.
The Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.
The case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:18-cr-00249.
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Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jamaile Huey, 42, of Detroit, Michigan pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. A federal grand jury indicted him on the charge in February 2021.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about January 8, 2021, members of the Huntington Police Department SWAT Team executed a search warrant for the person of Jamaile Huey at an apartment on Bridge Street in Huntington. During the execution of the warrant, Huey was located in the residence and placed into custody and another individual was located and detained. While the SWAT Team was conducting a protective sweep of the residence, a small quantity of a green leafy vegetation was located on a nightstand in plain view in the bedroom where Huey was observed coming from. After Huey was secured, officers observed that he did not have any clothing on the bottom half of his body. Huey requested from officers a black pair of pants. One of the officers located a pair of black pants in the bedroom Huey was observed coming from and searched them prior to giving them to Huey. Inside of one of the pants pockets, officers located a plastic baggy containing suspected narcotics. An additional search warrant was then obtained for the residence due to the suspected marijuana that was observed in plain view and the suspected narcotics that had been in Huey’s pants. During the search of the residence, a loaded Glock, model 17, 9mm pistol, serial number BFYY530 was located in the nightstand in the room that Huey had been observed coming from when apprehended by the SWAT team. A loaded high-capacity magazine for the Glock pistol was also located in the same room. While in the room where the firearm was located, investigators also observed that the items in the room matched the background of a photograph of Huey that had been provided by a confidential informant. The located firearm and magazine also matched the firearm that Huey possessed in the photograph.
Huey faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on July 12, 2021.
The Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00030.
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Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Multi-State Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman who took part in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in 2019 entered a guilty plea today in federal court. Kathryn Elizabeth Casto, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Casto admitted that between April and September of 2019 she conspired with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine. During the conspiracy, Casto repeatedly obtained quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron, Ohio to various locations in West Virginia. Casto would in turn supply other drug dealers with methamphetamine that would be sold in the Huntington and Charleston areas. Casto admitted that she was aware some of her customers intended to distribute the methamphetamine she provided to them and that she was responsible for the distribution of up to 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Casto faces 5 to 40 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on July 12, 2021.
This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00245.
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Former Employee of Huntington Non-Profit Charged with Theft of Federal FundsRead the Press Release
Phillips allegedly converted over $4.7 million of organization’s funds
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced today the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Ruth Marie Phillips, also known as Marie Phillips, 68, of Chesapeake, Ohio, with theft of federal funds from River Valley Child Development Services (“RVCDS”). Phillips was arrested today and appeared in federal court in Huntington before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl A. Eifert.
RVCDS is a non-profit organization located in Huntington. RVCDS receives federal funding in excess of $10,000 in any one year and also receives state funding. RVCDS provides programs, services and support to children, families and the early childhood community.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Phillips worked as the Director of Business and Finance at RVCDS from approximately December 1, 1986 to on or about September 1, 2020. During this time, Phillips was responsible for all financial operations, including monitoring accounts receivable, creating and submitting invoices, reconciling bank accounts and issuing checks. The criminal complaint alleges that on or about April 2, 2002, Phillips opened a BB&T bank account under the name RVCDS without permission from RVCDS. Phillips listed her home address on the bank account and used it to knowingly convert approximately $4.72 million of RVCDS funds to her own use.
The criminal complaint further alleges that Phillips used the embezzled money for her own personal use and to fund Attitude Aviation, a full-service fixed-base operator authorized to provide aeronautical services, including fueling, rental of hangar space, aircraft rental, flight instruction and maintenance. Attitude Aviation has offices at Lawrence County Airpark in South Point, Ohio, and Tri-State Airport in Huntington. Phillips owns Attitude Aviation with at least two other people.
The allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, Phillips faces up to ten years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia State Police are conducting the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin F. Scott and Kathleen Robeson are handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-mj-00034.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Corey Allen Tucker, 25, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. A federal grand jury indicted Tucker in September 2020.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tucker got into an altercation and shot an individual in South Charleston on January 7, 2019. Later that day, investigators with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department located Tucker in a South Charleston residence and found a 9mm pistol magazine loaded with unfired cartridges in his jacket pocket. Law enforcement officers searched the residence and found two firearms, including a Taurus Millennium G2 9mm pistol, buried in a cat litter box. Some of the ammunition loaded in that firearm was the same brand and type of shell casing located at the scene of the shooting. The magazine found in Tucker’s jacket pocket also fit the firearm. Tucker admitted to law enforcement that he shot the victim. Tucker was prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of a 2016 conviction in South Carolina for assault and battery in the first degree.
Tucker faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced on July 22, 2021.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation and received assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie White and Greg McVey are handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00162.
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New York Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jaquan Jeremiah Wright, 22, of New York, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Wright was arrested on a federal criminal complaint in February 2021 in connection with a long-term investigation into a methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in Charleston. He was later charged by an Information on March 16, 2021.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, officers with the Charleston Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Wright’s vehicle on July 20, 2020. During the traffic stop, the officers found a Polymer80 PFC9, 9mm pistol in Wright’s car between the console and passenger seat. At that time, Wright was subject to a Domestic Violence Protective Order that was entered in the Jamestown City Court, County of Chautauqua, New York. That Domestic Violence Protective Order remains in effect until December 11, 2024.
Wright faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a term of supervised release when he is sentenced on July 1, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston thanked the law enforcement agencies for their excellent work in this case and their commitment to ensuring that individuals subject to a Domestic Violence Protective Order do not possess a firearm.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation, dubbed the “Woo Boyz,” with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police. The Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) provided critical support to the investigative agencies.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is handling the prosecution.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00039.
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Kanawha County Man Faces up to Life in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man pleaded guilty today to two federal gun crimes. Tevin Williams, 27, of Charleston, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 5, 2019, Williams was driving on Rt. 60 in Belle when he was pulled over and removed from the car by law enforcement officers. A K-9 unit alerted to the presence of drugs in the car. During a search of his car, officers located a Ruger 9mm pistol, ammunition and a small black safe. Officers also located $2,293 in U.S. currency, over 100 empty plastic baggies and approximately 93 grams of methamphetamine. Williams admitted he was carrying the firearm to protect his drugs and cash.
On November 6, 2019, Williams traveled to a home in Putnam County and knocked on the door. After being turned away at the door, Williams turned around and fired three to four shots at the residence and then drove away. Nine days later on November 15, 2019, Williams was driving in South Charleston when he was pulled over and removed from the car by law enforcement officers. At that time, he was wearing two shoulder holsters. Officers located two firearms under the front seat of the car, both of which were Hi Point 9mm pistols. Williams is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of his 2013 first degree robbery conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court. The pistols seized from Williams on November 15 were examined at the West Virginia State Police Laboratory and one of those pistols was identified as matching one of the shell casings recovered by law enforcement from the Putnam County residence on November 6, 2019.
Williams faces at least five years and up to life in prison when sentenced on July 8, 2021.
“Excellent work by all the law enforcement agencies involved,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “This conviction is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the South Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Belle 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 L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00038 and 20-cr-00048.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jawhar Baruti Jones, 41, of Charleston, was sentenced to 60 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. Jones pleaded guilty to the charge in January 2021.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Jones sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Charleston on three separate occasions in May 2017. In total, Jones distributed approximately 161 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine during the investigation. A search warrant was executed at Jones’ residence shortly after the third transaction and law enforcement officers found several bills of United States currency with serial numbers matching those previously utilized by the confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine from Jones.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation with the assistance of the West Virginia State Police. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-00070.
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