Southern District of West Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Beckley felon sentenced to over eight years on Federal gun chargeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto announced that a Beckley felon was sentenced today in federal court to eight years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kevin Terrell, 30, previously pleaded guilty in July of 2015 to the federal gun charge.
On January 13, 2015, Terrell admitted that he was in possession of an assault rifle. Law enforcement seized the ArmaLite Model M-15 5.56 mm rifle at Terrell’s residence on Granville Avenue in Beckley. Terrell was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of his 2007 felony convictions in Raleigh County Circuit Court for unlawful wounding and felony destruction of property.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The defendant was sentenced by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs that target gun crime.
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Charleston felon sentenced on Federal gun chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto announced that a Charleston man was sentenced in federal court to a year and three months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Travis Leonard Sumpter, 39, previously pleaded guilty to the federal gun charge in July of 2015.
Sumpter admitted that on December 4, 2014, officers with the Charleston Police Department found Sumpter in possession of a loaded Cobra Enterprises .38 Special Derringer while he was in front of the Park Place Bar on Central Avenue in Charleston. Sumpter was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2007 felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for wanton endangerment involving a firearm.
The Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs that target gun crime.
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Two Charleston men sentenced in Federal court on drug chargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Charleston men were sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, on drug charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto.
Gregory Woods, 38, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for using a communication device to facilitate cocaine distribution, as well as four years in federal prison for possessing marijuana for remuneration. The sentences for these federal drug charges are to be served concurrently. Woods admitted that on June 8, 2011, he arranged to sell a confidential informant an ounce of cocaine at his residence through telephone calls made with his cellular phone. After Woods sold the drugs, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence on Early Street in Charleston and recovered 13.9 grams of cocaine, 176 grams of marijuana, and a firearm. Woods further admitted that he possessed the marijuana located in his house for distribution.
Levi Carter, 26, was sentenced to ten months in federal prison for distribution of heroin. Carter admitted that on April 21, 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place in the parking lot of the Embassy Suites hotel in Charleston. Carter also admitted to selling heroin to the confidential informant on several other occasions in April and May of 2015.
Both of these cases were investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecution of both cases. The sentence for Woods was imposed by United States District Court Judge Thomas E. Johnston. The sentence for Carter was imposed by United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
These cases are part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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U.S. Attorney's Office announces Carol Casto takes office as Acting United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia today announced that Carol A. Casto has taken office as Acting United States Attorney effective January 1, 2016. Casto succeeds R. Booth Goodwin II, who announced his resignation last week to return to his family’s law practice. Casto has served as First Assistant United States Attorney since 2010. From 1989 to 2010, she was an Assistant United States Attorney in the office’s criminal and civil divisions. Before joining the United States Attorney’s Office, Casto served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Kanawha County from 1983 to 1989.
Casto is a West Virginia native and an honors graduate of West Virginia University and the West Virginia University College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the state of West Virginia, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Casto takes office by virtue of the federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, which provides for the temporary filling of offices that require presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.
“It is my honor and privilege to serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia,” said Casto. “I stand on the shoulders of the exceptional and distinguished United States Attorneys before me, who made excellence in the pursuit of justice the standard for our practice. I have every confidence that with the talented, devoted and hardworking attorneys and staff in my office, we will continue the extraordinary work that the public deserves and has come to expect of us.”
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Former WVSU basketball player sentenced to two years in Federal prison for heroin traffickingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former West Virginia State University basketball player who sold heroin near a dormitory was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to two years in federal prison followed by six years of supervised release, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. Kendrick Leon Ward, 25, of Oak Park, Michigan, previously pleaded guilty in September of 2015 to distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of school property.
On November 8 and 11, 2013, Ward sold heroin to a confidential informant on West Virginia State University property near the Dawson Hall dormitory. On November 12, 2013, task force officers executed a search warrant at Ward’s dormitory room in Dawson Hall. Officers seized approximately 20 grams of heroin, 100 thirty mg oxycodone pills, 100 thirty mg tramadol pills, and $21,265 in cash, which included the bills used in the controlled heroin transactions with the confidential informant.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution.
This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Goodwin steps down as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that he is stepping down from office effective at the end of the year and returning to private law practice. Goodwin has been a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s office since January 2001 and has served as the presidentially appointed head of the office since May 2010. As a federal prosecutor, Goodwin personally secured convictions in virtually every type of case that his office handles, many of them matters of regional and national significance.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia,” Goodwin said. “The unparalleled success of this office during my tenure is a tribute to and a result of the extraordinary dedication of the lawyers, staff and law enforcement personnel with whom I have been privileged to serve,” Goodwin continued. “Their commitment to the safety and security of this nation and West Virginia has been and will continue to be an inspiration.”
Upon becoming United States Attorney, Goodwin focused on tackling West Virginia’s prescription drug and heroin crisis, holding corporate criminals accountable for putting workers at risk and polluting our water sources, prosecuting corrupt public officials, helping communities rebuild from the ravages of drugs and violence, and protecting children and the elderly.
During Goodwin’s tenure, his office has prosecuted hundreds of pill and heroin dealers, shuttered pill mills, and convicted doctors and pharmacists who dishonored their professions by promoting the opiate abuse scourge. But Goodwin also recognized early on that we cannot simply arrest and prosecute our way out of the prescription drug crisis. Goodwin organized and co-hosted with Governor Tomblin West Virginia’s first Summit on Prescription Drug Abuse in February 2011. The Summit laid out a plan to tackle the crisis through not just law enforcement, but also education and effective drug monitoring and prescribing practices, along with the expansion of treatment and recovery options. Goodwin has also worked with other United States Attorneys on a regional and national level to address the opiate crisis. Goodwin also has advanced a number of other initiatives aimed at tackling opiate abuse and its effects, including the “Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion” or “L.E.A.D.” program; expansion of access to the overdose reversing drug Naloxone; the development and launch of “The Call WV” smartphone app and the “makethecallwv.com” website, both designed to connect people struggling with addiction to resources and assistance; and public service announcements designed to promote resources available to those struggling with addiction and to raise awareness of the issue.
Within days after Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine exploded on April 5, 2010, Goodwin launched a criminal investigation into the disaster. Drawing on the investigative resources of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Goodwin’s team conducted an investigation that resulted in the conviction of five individuals, including the security chief at UBB, a mine superintendent at UBB, the president of a Massey mining group, and the former Chairman and CEO of Massey Energy - the highest-ranking executive ever convicted of a workplace safety crime. The investigation also resulted in a $220 million agreement with the company that took over Massey Energy after the disaster. That agreement required the company to fund an unprecedented $48 million mine safety and health research trust, invest $90 million in upgrading safety across all its operations, pay off all of Massey’s more than $31 million in outstanding mine safety fines, and provide a minimum of $1.5 million in restitution for each of the victims of the UBB disaster.
Following the January 2014 release of MCHM into the Elk River in Charleston, which contaminated the drinking water of more than 300,000 West Virginians, Goodwin led an investigation of those responsible for the spill. That investigation led to criminal convictions of Freedom Industries and six of its officials, including former Freedom presidents Gary Southern and Dennis Farrell. The incident marks one of the largest episodes of drinking water contamination in American history, and the convictions are among most significant ever for contamination of the public water supply.
During his tenure as a federal prosecutor, Goodwin tackled corruption throughout southern West Virginia. He headed probes leading to a host of convictions of corrupt public and business officials, including major investigations in Logan, Lincoln and Mingo counties. In recognition of his work in the Logan County probe, Goodwin was honored with a United States Department of Justice Director’s Award.
Goodwin partnered with police and community members to launch successful drug market intervention initiatives in the Fairfield area of Huntington and on the west side of Charleston. The efforts of all involved resulted in a substantial decrease in crime and increase in community quality of life. For example, in Huntington, with the assistance of the West Virginia National Guard and the West Virginia Department of Highways, 59 dilapidated structures that provided havens for drug activity were demolished. And as a result of one of the office’s prosecutions, a neighborhood convenience store that was a magnet for criminal activity in the Fairfield neighborhood was also demolished. The property is now in the hands of the city of Huntington and was repurposed for the benefit of the community.
Goodwin has also worked hard to protect our most vulnerable. He and his office prosecuted dozens of criminals who exploited children and the elderly. For example, Goodwin prosecuted and convicted the “Target Child Molester,” an individual who traveled from his home near Louisville, Kentucky, to the Target store in South Charleston to sexually assault a little girl. This criminal was found guilty of possessing child pornography and crossing a state line with the intent to engage in a sex act with a person under 12 years of age. He was sentenced to serve 25 years in federal prison and the rest of his life on supervised release. The sentence of lifetime supervised release was among the first of its kind in the country.
Recognizing that preventing crime - especially in our most vulnerable populations - is just as important as prosecuting it, Goodwin has frequently spoken at senior centers and conferences throughout the state to warn seniors about avoiding scams and guarding against crimes that stem from the opiate epidemic.
The horrific murders at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012, were a national tragedy and an urgent call to action on the issue of school safety. After Sandy Hook, Goodwin organized a statewide Summit on West Virginia Safe Schools here in Charleston. Interest in the Summit was overwhelming, and Goodwin worked with participants to create an agenda for keeping our state’s schools safe. That agenda lays out 10 practical steps aimed at preventing and preparing for school violence. The agenda and more information can be found at www.wvsafeschools.org.
Even before Sandy Hook, Goodwin devoted time to visiting schools in his district to talk about bullying, Internet safety, and the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Joined by partners like U.S. Marshal John Foster, Adjutant General James Hoyer, and retired Charleston Police Lieutenant Chad Napier, Goodwin visited and presented at almost 40 schools.
Goodwin has also partnered with his colleague, U.S. Attorney Bill Ihlenfeld, to name four classes of Ambassadors for Justice, who are high school juniors from nearly every high school in West Virginia. These Ambassadors are exceptional young men and women who stand up to peer pressure and intervene if a classmate is making a destructive decision.
At the center of Goodwin’s efforts to make schools and students safer is the Handle with Care project. Under Handle with Care, police identify children who come into contact with a law enforcement operation - such as a domestic violence incident or drug raid - or who are themselves victims of abuse or neglect, and forward that information to the child’s school before the child arrives the next day. Armed with that information, the school can be ready to handle that child with care and intervene as necessary. This past March, Goodwin was joined by Governor Tomblin and Colonel Jay Smithers of the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) to announce the formation of the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice under the WVSP. Since then, Goodwin has worked with the Center to expand Handle With Care across the state. In cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Education’s Project Aware grant, mental health care for our most vulnerable kids is being expanded. The goal is to have on-site mental health care at every school implementing Handle With Care across the state. More information on the project is available at www.handlewithcarewv.org.
Los Angeles man pleads guilty to Federal methamphetamine chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A man from Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty today to a federal methamphetamine charge, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Terry Cunningham, 32, entered his guilty plea in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to distribution of methamphetamine.
Cunningham admitted that on July 14, 2015, he shipped a package containing methamphetamine to an undercover Kanawha County Deputy Sheriff working with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. After the undercover officer picked up the package, Cunningham provided instructions for making payment for the shipment with MoneyGram. Cunningham went to pick up the MoneyGram payment at a Walmart in Los Angeles, and immediately texted the undercover officer that he had received payment. Agents conducting surveillance in Los Angeles also observed Cunningham collecting the payment, and arrested him shortly after the payment confirmation.
Cunningham faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Charleston on April 6, 2016.
The successful prosecution of Cunningham was the result of the collaborative investigative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Charleston heroin and meth dealer sentenced to eight years in Federal prisonRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Brian Keith Dunnigan, 46, of Charleston, West Virginia, was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to eight years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine. Dunnigan had previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug charge in September of 2015.
Dunnigan admitted that on April 8, 2015, he spoke with Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team officers and gave them permission to search the residence where he was staying at 924 Orchard Street in Charleston. Officers recovered over 100 grams of methamphetamine, over 50 grams of heroin, and over $2,500 in cash from the residence. Dunnigan admitted that the drugs and cash were his, and that for approximately two months he had been receiving heroin and methamphetamine from a source in Ohio and distributing the drugs in Kanawha County.
Dunnigan also admitted that on May 6, 2015, he was present in a house in Charleston where Charleston Police Department officers were executing a search warrant. On that day, officers found Dunnigan with a loaded Titan Tiger .38 caliber revolver. Dunnigan was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because he had previously been convicted of two felonies, conspiracy to distribute crack and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in federal court in the Southern District of West Virginia.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, the Charleston Police Department, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn handled the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District. This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.
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Two Mexican nationals sentenced in Federal court for credit card fraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that two Mexican nationals were sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, for credit card fraud. Marco Carrillo, 22, and Luis Vazquez, 24, both of Sonora, Mexico, were each sentenced to eight months in federal prison. Carrillo and Vazquez previously pleaded guilty in September of 2015 to federal charges of conspiring to commit credit card fraud.
Carrillo and Vazquez traveled to Charleston from Mexico to pick up a package at Federal Express (FedEx) that contained 100 fraudulent credit cards. They intended to use the fraudulent cards to buy electronic goods and gift cards. On May 1, 2015, FedEx intercepted the suspicious package containing the fraudulent credit cards and turned the package over to law enforcement before Carrillo and Vazquez picked it up.
On May 4, 2015, agents with the United States Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations arrested Carrillo and Vazquez when they arrived at FedEx to pick up the package. Carrillo and Vazquez were stopped by law enforcement before they could use any of the fraudulent credit cards.
The United States Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations handled the investigation, with assistance from the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Blaire L. Malkin is in charge of the prosecution.
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Cross Lanes couple prosecuted in Federal court for methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Cross Lanes woman was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to three years and four months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine with her husband, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Sherri Little, 41, previously pleaded guilty in April of 2015 to the federal drug charge. Matthew Little, 38, the husband of Sherri Little, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine in May of 2015.
From early 2014 until December of that same year, Matthew Little admitted that he conspired to distribute methamphetamine with his wife, Sherri Little. Matthew Little further admitted that he and his wife would sell methamphetamine, either from their residence in Cross Lanes or at different locations throughout Cross Lanes. On September 9, 2014, Matthew Little told a confidential informant working with law enforcement to go to his home for a drug deal. Once the confidential informant arrived at the house, Sherri Little called her husband to confirm the details of the drug deal. After the conversation with her husband, Sherri Little sold methamphetamine to the confidential informant. Matthew Little is currently incarcerated, awaiting sentencing on his federal drug conspiracy charge.
The cases against Matthew and Sherri Little were investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Charleston man pleads guilty to Federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal heroin charge. Thomas Kerr Clements, 53, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to distributing heroin.
Clements admitted that on May 27, 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement authorities. The drug deal took place at the defendant’s residence, located in the Rand area of Charleston.
Clements faces up to 20 years in federal prison a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on March 17, 2016, in federal court in Charleston.
The case against Clements was investigated by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff’s Tactical Operations Patrol Team. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announces new partnership to prevent overdoseRead the Press Release
PRINCETON, W.Va. – Standing outside the Princeton Detachment of the West Virginia State Police today, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin, joined by West Virginia State Police Major Tim Bradley, and Mercer County Commissioner and Community Connections Executive Director Greg Puckett, announced a new partnership to expand access to naloxone.
The West Virginia State Police are working together with Community Connections, a Southern West Virginia non-profit, on a partnership that will provide training in the use of naloxone for overdose prevention to West Virginia State Troopers in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming Counties. Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, is a medication used by many first responders and law enforcement officers to reverse the effects of opioid overdose.
"This new partnership is a tremendous step forward in the fight against drug addiction in Southern West Virginia," stated U.S. Attorney Goodwin. "Addiction rates here are high, and because it is a rural area, it sometimes takes a long time for an ambulance to reach an overdose call. For the first time, the West Virginia State Police in this region will have naloxone with them while on duty, so when they respond to an overdose call, they can take life-saving action immediately, when every second counts."
The partnership is made possible through a Rural Opioid Overdose Reversal Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. The $100,000 grant will facilitate Project ReNew, a pilot program to expand access to naloxone for the West Virginia State Police in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming Counties. The pilot program will be administered by Community Connections, a Southern West Virginia non-profit focused on collaborative efforts to build strong communities and improve the lives of local families. Community Connections will train the Troopers in the three-county area on how to administer naloxone. The grant funding will also be used to purchase naloxone kits for the Troopers.
Earlier this year, Governor Tomblin signed legislation into law that permitted the prescription of naloxone for use by initial responders, such as law enforcement. This allowed for the broader use of naloxone as a powerful tool in the fight against addiction. Other resources include the state hotline at 1-844-HELP4WV (1-800-435-7498), and The Call WV app, which connects people with addiction treatment options based on the app user’s location, and is available for download on Apple and Android smartphones and at makethecallwv.com. A cooperative agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and the Huntington Police Department funded the creation of The Call WV app and the makethecallwv.com website by Syntech Creative, a Huntington business, as well as a series of public service announcements about the app and the website created by Trifecta Productions, another Huntington business.
“I want to thank Community Connections for administering this program,” said Goodwin. “Most importantly, I want to thank the West Virginia State Police for continuing to show leadership in confronting the opiate epidemic. We are hopeful that with the State Police on board, other local law enforcement agencies that are not yet training their personnel in the use of naloxone will soon partner in this effort.”
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***media Advisory***Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin, joined by West Virginia State Police Major Tim Bradley and Mercer County Commissioner and Community Connections Executive Director Greg Puckett, will announce a new partnership to expand access to naloxone at a press conference at the Princeton Detachment of the West Virginia State Police on Wednesday, December 16, 2015, at noon.
Naloxone, a medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose and is commonly known as Narcan, has been successfully utilized by law enforcement and first responders to prevent drug overdose. U.S. Attorney Goodwin will introduce the new partnership between the West Virginia State Police and Community Connections that will provide overdose prevention training to West Virginia State Troopers in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming Counties.
WHO:
- United States Attorney Booth Goodwin
- West Virginia State Police Major Tim Bradley
- Mercer County Commissioner and Community Connections Executive Director Greg Puckett
WHAT:
- Press conference to announce expansion of access to naloxone through a new partnership
WHERE:
- WV State Police – Princeton Detachment
- 910 Oakvale Road
- Princeton, WV 24740
WHEN:
- Wednesday, December 16, 2015, at noon.
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Two more defendants sentenced in Detroit to Huntington heroin conspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men who participated in a heroin conspiracy between 2012 and 2015 were the latest defendants sentenced today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Sean L. Gist, 22, of Detroit, was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Paul A. Roberts, Jr., 22, of Huntington, was sentenced to five years of probation after previously pleading guilty to maintaining a residence for the distribution of heroin.
From December of 2013 to January of 2015, Gist participated in a conspiracy, led by Kenneth E. Baxter, that transported heroin from Detroit to Huntington for distribution. Once the drugs reached Huntington, Gist provided heroin to multiple individuals for distribution. Gist also distributed heroin himself, arranged for the sale of heroin to a confidential informant on January 28, 2015, at Harris Riverfront Park in Huntington, and admitted that he possessed a firearm in connection with the conspiracy.
Roberts helped to secure one of the residences used in the conspiracy located at 403 Homestead Place in Huntington. From October of 2014 to December of 2014, Roberts, Coty E. Richardson, and others used the residence to store, package, and distribute heroin. On December 6, 2014, a United States Postal Inspector intercepted a package containing approximately 230 grams of heroin addressed to the residence. After agents delivered the package, they executed a search warrant, located Roberts in the residence, and seized heroin, equipment used to package and distribute heroin, more than $6,500 in cash, and four guns.
Several defendants have been convicted of federal drug charges as a result of the investigation, including Dustin S. Barton, who pleaded guilty in August of 2015 to distributing heroin, and Warren G. Howard, Jr., who pleaded guilty on December 7, 2015, to distributing heroin. This investigation has also resulted in prison sentences for additional defendants for their roles in the conspiracy, including Kenneth Baxter, who was sentenced to seven years and three months, Coty Richardson, who was sentenced to five years and ten months, Ramone L. Wells, who was sentenced to four years, and Pricilla Lee Dylan, who was sentenced to two years and nine months.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force, United States Postal Service, West Virginia State Police and Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Two Charleston men plead guilty in Federal court to heroin traffickingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two defendants pleaded guilty today to federal heroin charges, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Anthony Lamar Jordan Honeycutt, 35, of Charleston, West Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court in Huntington to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Leon Wilson, Jr., 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston to distributing heroin.
On December 16, 2014, drug task force officers working with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team stopped Honeycutt in downtown Charleston. Honeycutt was on his way to deliver heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. Officers found Honeycutt in possession of approximately 42 grams of heroin at the time of his arrest. Honeycutt faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 14, 2016. The case against Honeycutt was investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is in charge of the prosecution.
Another defendant, Leon Wilson, Jr., admitted that in May of 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement authorities on three separate occasions. The drug deals took place at Wilson’s Charleston apartment. After these drug deals, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at Wilson’s residence. Officers found over $1,000 cash in Wilson’s possession, which included some of the pre-recorded buy money used in one of the drug deals with the confidential informant. Wilson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Charleston on March 16, 2016. The case against Wilson was investigated by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff’s Tactical Operations Patrol Team. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecution.
These cases were brought as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down drug trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Huntington man pleads guilty to Federal gun chargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A convicted felon from Huntington, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today to a federal gun charge, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Semaj Markes Leondre Figg, 24, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Huntington to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On April 29, 2015, Figg was arrested by members of the Huntington Police Department for a parole violation. At the time of his arrest, officers found Figg to be in possession of a loaded CZ Model 52, 7.62 x 25 caliber pistol. Figg was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2014 felony conviction in Cabell County Circuit Court for conspiracy to deliver cocaine.
Figg faces up to ten years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 14, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecution.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.
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Former Marshall running back sentenced in Federal court for cyberstalkingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A 23-year old former Marshall University running back from Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, to two years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Kevin LaShawn Grooms, Jr., previously pleaded guilty in September of 2015 to cyberstalking. After Grooms is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for three years.
Grooms admitted to using a cell phone to send threatening messages to his ex-girlfriend beginning on March 24, 2015, and continuing into the early hours of the next day. Grooms sent the threatening messages using Instagram and text. Grooms further admitted that his conduct placed his ex-girlfriend in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury, and caused her to suffer substantial emotional distress. An investigation conducted by the Federal of Bureau of Investigation revealed that Grooms sent 158 messages to his ex-girlfriend within 8 hours of being released from the Western Regional Jail on March 24, 2015. Grooms was under a Domestic Violence Protection Order at the time he sent the messages. The messages sent by Grooms consisted of photographs and attached messages that mocked the strength of domestic restraining orders and repeatedly threatened his ex-girlfriend.
Grooms met his ex-girlfriend in September of 2012, when they were both enrolled at Marshall University. Grooms admitted to engaging in a pattern of activity that included stalking, threatening the use of a deadly weapon, and harassing and assaulting his ex-girlfriend throughout their relationship.
U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin stated, “Those who use modern technology to stalk, threaten, and harass need to understand the seriousness of the crime. We will continue to investigate and prosecute these offenses. We will not tolerate such dangerous intimidation.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Johnston handled the prosecution.
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Three codefendants sentenced on Federal heroin chargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Three codefendants were sentenced in federal court today in Charleston, West Virginia, for federal heroin charges, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Michael Richard, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced to five months in federal prison and five months to be served on home confinement for distribution of heroin. Cassandra Washington, 26, of Charleston, was sentenced to credit for time served for aiding and abetting to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Washington had spent approximately one year and four months incarcerated prior to her sentencing. James Christopher Harris, 25, of Detroit, was sentenced to three years of probation with the conditions of five months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service for aiding and abetting to possession with intent to distribute heroin. All three defendants previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug charges in September of 2015.
Richard admitted that on April 10, 2014, he sold a half gram of heroin to a confidential informant working with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). The drug deal took place in a house that Richard shared with Washington at 7 Cherry Lane in Elkview. On the same day as the drug deal, MDENT executed a search warrant of the residence and found Richard, Washington, and Harris in the house. As part of the search, law enforcement seized heroin, digital scales, and sandwich bags used to package heroin. Harris admitted that he had transported the heroin from Detroit to the Elkview residence for Richard and Washington to sell. Washington admitted that she planned to sell the heroin provided by Harris.
The successful prosecution of Richard, Washington, and Harris was the result of an investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Detroit man pleads guilty in Federal court to heroin chargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man who participated in a heroin conspiracy entered a guilty plea today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, announced Unite States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Warren G. Howard, Jr., 24, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to distributing heroin.
During 2013, Howard conspired with others, including Kenneth E. Baxter, to distribute heroin which had been transported from Detroit to the Huntington area. On May 20, 2013, a confidential informant contacted Baxter to arrange a drug deal. Howard and Baxter met the informant in the parking lot of a Kroger located at 1st Street and 7th Avenue in Huntington. The informant entered Howard’s vehicle and Howard sold heroin to the informant.
Howard faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 7, 2016.
Multiple individuals have been convicted of federal drug offenses as a result of the investigation, including Paul A. Roberts, who pleaded guilty in March of 2015 to maintaining a residence for the distribution of heroin, Dustin S. Barton, who pleaded guilty in August of 2015 to distributing heroin, and Sean L. Gist, who pleaded guilty in September of 2015 to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Those sentenced to federal prison as a result of the investigation include Baxter, who was sentenced to seven years and three months, Coty E. Richardson, who was sentenced to five years and ten months, Ramone L. Wells who was sentenced to four years, and Pricilla Lee Dylan who was sentenced to two years and nine months.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force, United States Postal Service, West Virginia State Police, and Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin continues crackdown on heroin dealersRead the Press Release
Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced the prosecution of two more heroin dealers today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia. A Charleston man was sentenced for distribution of heroin, and a Detroit man entered a guilty plea to aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin.
Michael Ealm, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years and ten months in federal prison for distribution of heroin. Ealm previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug charge and admitted that on three occasions in January, February, and March of 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant. On March 4, 2015, Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team officers executed a search warrant at Ealm’s residence in Charleston. When the officers entered the residence, they caught Ealm trying to flush heroin down the toilet. During the search, officers recovered handguns and additional heroin, and Ealm gave a statement admitting that he had been selling heroin in the Charleston area since January of 2015.
Additionally, Robert James Bellamy, 31, of Detroit, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin. On October 22, 2014, officers with Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) used a confidential informant to purchase heroin from Bellamy in the Kanawha City area of Charleston. On three additional occasions, SEU members conducted controlled purchases of heroin either directly from Bellamy or from an associate working at his direction. Bellamy admitted that from January through December of 2014, he distributed at least 400 grams of heroin in and around Kanawha County. Bellamy faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Charleston on March 23, 2016.
The investigation of Ealm was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. The Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit investigated Bellamy. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is handling the prosecution of both of these cases.
These cases were prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin collects over $11 million for taxpayers in fiscal year 2015Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that his office has collected $11,117,355.04 in the last year, which represents more than twice the office’s annual direct budget. Of this amount, $3,223,758.54 was collected in criminal actions, $1,917,340.47 was collected in civil actions, and $5,976,236.03 was collected in asset forfeiture.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia worked with other U.S. Attorneys’ offices, components of the Department of Justice, and other federal agencies to collect an additional $15,003,158 in cases jointly pursued. Of this amount, $3,408 was collected in criminal actions and $14,999,750 was collected in civil actions.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced that the Justice Department collected $23.1 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2015. The more than $23.1 billion in collections in fiscal year 2015 represents more than seven and a half times the approximately $2.93 billion of the Justice Department’s combined appropriations for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.
"The Department of Justice is committed to upholding the rule of law, safeguarding taxpayer resources, and protecting the American people from exploitation and abuse,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “The collections we are announcing demonstrate not only the strength of that commitment, but also the significant return on public investment that our actions deliver. I want to thank the prosecutors and trial attorneys who made this achievement possible, and to reiterate our dedication to this ongoing work.”
Goodwin noted, “The $11 million collected by this office represents more than twice the direct operating budget for my office for the year. These collections are made possible through the strong collaboration of my civil and criminal divisions, the attorneys and staff, and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Together, we remain focused on community safety, and we will continue working as partners to hold criminals financially accountable for their dishonest gains.”
In December of 2014, Goodwin’s office recovered $1.1 million on behalf of Medicare and West Virginia Medicaid as part of a resolution with Trivillian’s Pharmacy in Charleston for allegations of fraud in dispensing pharmaceuticals. In another pharmacy case, Kofi Agyekum, the former owner and operator of A+ Care Pharmacy in Barboursville, forfeited $2.3 million and a Lexus when he was sentenced in August of this year for violating federal banking laws. The former pharmacy owner admitted that the money used in the banking crimes was derived from the illegal distribution of oxycodone, which the court noted, contributed to the oxycodone abuse epidemic in our communities.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal healthcare, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services on behalf of Medicare and Medicaid, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.
In addition to the civil and criminal collections, Goodwin’s office, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $5,976,236.03 in asset forfeiture actions in fiscal year 2015. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. This brings the total amount collected by Goodwin’s office in fiscal year 2015 to $11,117,355.04. The fiscal year began on October 1, 2014, and ended on September 30, 2015.
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Two more defendants sentenced in oxymorphone conspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that two more defendants were sentenced in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, for their role in an oxymorphone distribution scheme that took place in a Nitro home.
Jennifer Russell, 42, of Nitro, was sentenced today to five years of probation for knowingly maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing oxymorphone. Russell admitted that from November of 2013 to January of 2014, she allowed her residence at 21A Bailes Drive in Nitro to be used as a place for distribution of oxymorphone pills. Russell allowed Karson Williams, Bridgette Kelly, Gregory Lindsey, and others to distribute the illicit pills from the house.
Karson Williams, 21, of Charleston, was sentenced to five years of probation for aiding and abetting the distribution of oxymorphone. Williams previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug charge and admitted that on January 14, 2014, he sold a 40 mg oxymorphone pill, commonly known as “Opana,” to a confidential informant. The drug deal took place at Jennifer Russell’s house in Nitro, and Williams further admitted that Bridgette Kelly helped Williams with the drug deal.
Bridgette Kelly, of Charleston, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxymorphone and was sentenced on September 14, 2015, to three years and one month in federal prison. Kelly conspired with Gregory Lindsey, of Detroit, to distribute oxymorphone pills from Jennifer Russell’s residence in Nitro. Lindsey made regular trips to Detroit, sometimes with Kelly, and brought back approximately 100 oxymorphone pills each trip for distribution. On January 30, 2014, officers executed a search warrant at Jennifer Russell’s residence in Nitro and seized over twenty 30 mg oxymorphone pills, over thirty 40 mg oxymorphone pills, and a firearm in Lindsey’s possession. Lindsey previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute oxymorphone, and was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison on August 4, 2014.
These cases were investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team and the prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman.
These cases is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Mother and son plead guilty to Federal heroin chargesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A mother and son who sold heroin from their home in Culloden, West Virginia, in 2014 and 2015 entered guilty pleas today in federal court in Huntington to separate drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Toni Lynn Cremeans, 41, pleaded guilty to distributing heroin, and her son, Shawn Paul Cremeans, 24, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin.
From January of 2014 to May of 2015, Toni Cremeans, her husband, Sanford Dale Cremeans, and their son, Shawn Cremeans, conspired to sell heroin from their residence at 2246 3rd Street in Culloden. During that time period, Toni Cremeans frequently transported heroin to their residence where she and others would prepare it for distribution.
On December 2, 2014, a confidential informant contacted Shawn Cremeans to arrange a heroin purchase. The informant traveled to the Cremeans’ residence and met with Shawn and Sanford Cremeans while they waited for Toni Cremeans to arrive with additional heroin. Once Toni Cremeans arrived, the informant paid Shawn Cremeans and received half a gram of heroin from Sanford Cremeans. Toni Cremeans also admitted that she met with an informant at her residence on December 9, 2014, and sold the informant half a gram of heroin. Both Toni and Shawn Cremeans admitted that they were responsible for distributing a total of between 80 and 100 grams of heroin.
Toni Cremeans faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when she is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 28, 2016. Shawn Cremeans also faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 7, 2016.
Sanford Cremeans previously pleaded guilty in October to distributing heroin and is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Huntington on January 25, 2016.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force and Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Federal Jury Returns Guilty Verdict in Blankenship TrialRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a jury sitting in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, has returned a guilty verdict following the trial of former Massey Energy Chief Executive Officer Don Blankenship. The jury found Blankenship guilty on a federal charge of conspiracy to willfully violate mine health and safety standards.
“This is a landmark day for the safety of coal miners, and not just coal miners, but all working men and women,” stated U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. “The jury’s verdict sends a clear and powerful message: It doesn’t matter who you are, how rich you are, or how powerful you are - if you gamble with the safety of the people who work for you, you will be held accountable.”
Over the course of the trial, in which jury selection began on October 1, 2015, the jury heard evidence from 27 witnesses. Many of these witnesses were coal miners who worked at the Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine prior to the 2010 explosion, and they testified in detail from their firsthand knowledge of the unsafe working conditions at UBB, violations of U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulations, and organized efforts to obstruct and interfere with MSHA inspectors. The jury heard from Bill Ross, former Manager of Technical Services at Massey, who testified that he warned Blankenship about the company’s practice of rampant violations, and told the defendant prior to the UBB explosion that Massey’s standard tactic of ignoring or defrauding MSHA could not be sustained without the possibility of a serious accident that could have fatalities. The evidence also showed that Blankenship received daily updates on safety violations and helped perpetuate them.
“The evidence overwhelmingly showed an enterprise that embraced safety crimes as a business strategy. It was reprehensible, and the jury saw it for what it was. Time and time again the defendant chose to put profits over safety. He got rich and the coal miners who worked for him paid the price,” said Goodwin. “This is the first time that I am aware of that the chief executive officer of a major corporation has been convicted of a workplace safety crime. It is my hope that this case will make a difference throughout this country, and make the places where working men and women spend their days a little bit safer. Everyone deserves to go home to their families and friends when their shift is over.”
Blankenship faces up to one year in federal prison, and a fine of up to twice the gain or loss that resulted from his conduct, when he is sentenced on March 23, 2016, in federal court in Charleston.
The prosecution was the result of a comprehensive investigation that took over five years to complete. Blankenship’s conviction is the fifth criminal conviction credited to this investigation. In addition to the convictions of individuals, the results of the investigation also include a resolution of over $200 million with Alpha Natural Resources after it acquired Massey. This agreement established a foundation dedicated to mine safety and health research, the first of its kind, and set aside nearly $50 million in funding for the foundation. That funding has provided the resources for some of the best and brightest minds in the country to pursue research that will make mines safer all over the world.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General. United States Attorney Booth Goodwin and Assistant United States Attorneys Steven R. Ruby, Gregory McVey, and Gabriele Wohl handled the prosecution and tried the case before a federal jury.
The prosecution is part of a sustained effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to protect the health and safety of West Virginia workers by vigorously prosecuting workplace safety crimes and holding accountable those responsible for dangerous working conditions.
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***media Advisory***Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin, joined by FBI Special Agent James Lafferty, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL OIG) Special Agent Jeffrey Carter, and Assistant United States Attorneys Steve Ruby, Greg McVey, and Gabriele Wohl, will address the jury verdict in the trial of former Massey Energy Chief Executive Officer Don Blankenship today at a press conference at 1:00 p.m. in the U.S. Marshal’s Office – Suite 3600 - located in the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse in Charleston, West Virginia.
WHO:
- United States Attorney Booth Goodwin
- FBI Special Agent James Lafferty
- DOL OIG Special Agent Jeffrey Carter
- Assistant United States Attorney Steve Ruby
- Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey
- Assistant United States Attorney Gabriele Wohl
WHAT:
- Press conference to address the jury verdict in the trial of former Massey CEO Don Blankenship
WHERE:
- Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse
- U.S. Marshal’s Office – Suite 3600
- 300 Virginia Street, East
- Charleston, WV 25301
WHEN:
- Today at 1:00 p.m.
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Two more defendants sentenced for role in counterfeiting schemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that two women were sentenced in federal court today in Charleston, West Virginia, for passing counterfeit $100 bills. Nyteria Green, 36, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to three years in federal prison. O’wynn Rogers, 27, of Beckley, was sentenced to one year in federal prison.
Green and Rogers previously pleaded guilty on August 18, 2015, and admitted to passing counterfeit $100 bills at locations around Beckley, West Virginia, in April 2014. Both women admitted to passing the counterfeit money at several businesses, including at multiple locations in the Crossroads Mall in Mt. Hope and at the IHOP on Harper Road in Beckley.
In a related case, Paula Green, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty to three counts of passing counterfeit $100 bills in Beckley and Charleston, and faces up to 60 years in prison when she is sentenced on February 24, 2016, at the federal courthouse in Beckley. In another related case, Kenyata Smith, of Beckley, was sentenced on October 21, 2015, to two years of probation for her involvement in the passing of counterfeit money.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Bacaj handled the prosecution.
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South Charleston man pleads guilty to Federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A South Charleston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to distribution of heroin, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Gavin Edwards, 32, of South Charleston, entered his guilty plea today to the federal drug charge.
Edwards admitted that on December 8, 2014, he sold approximately half a gram of heroin to a confidential informant working with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). Edwards completed the drug deal in the parking lot behind his apartment at 4832 Kanawha Turnpike Avenue in South Charleston. Edwards further admitted that on December 10, 2014, he sold the same confidential informant approximately 1.6 grams of heroin.
On December 16, 2014, detectives with MDENT executed a search warrant for the apartment and located over 250 grams of marijuana, over 250 grams of crack, and approximately $5,930 in cash. During the search, officers also recovered an additional $1,569 in cash that Edwards had in his pockets.
Edwards faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on March 16, 2016, in federal court in Charleston.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is in charge of the prosecution.
The case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The United States Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Former West Virginia State Trooper sentenced for distributing oxymorphoneRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a former West Virginia State Trooper was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to two years and six months in federal prison for distribution of oxymorphone. Christopher Lee Saunders, 43, of Beckley, previously pleaded guilty in June 2015 to the federal drug charge.
Saunders admitted that on January 22, 2015, he sold oxymorphone to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place at the Walmart parking lot located off Robert C. Byrd Drive in MacArthur.
This case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police, and was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The United States Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Beckley man sentenced on Federal heroin chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Beckley man was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to 10 years in federal prison for distribution of heroin, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Rhinelander Hernandez, 37, of Beckley, previously pleaded guilty in August 2015 to the federal drug charge.
Hernandez admitted that on December 2, 2014, he sold heroin to a confidential informant cooperating with law enforcement. The drug deal took place at the Go-Mart parking lot off South Eisenhower Drive in Beckley.
The case was investigated by the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, and was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The United States Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin launches PSAs, website, and smartphone app to fight addictionRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin launched a series of public service announcements (PSAs), a website, and a new smartphone app today to highlight additional resources in the fight against drug addiction in West Virginia.
“While we continue to tackle the supply of these drugs coming into our community, we have to do something about the demand. We know this is an epidemic, but unlike epidemics where you can tell someone is sick just by looking at them, we might not notice or be aware of people who are affected. They look like you and me,” said U.S. Attorney Goodwin at a press conference today. “Unlike those wearing all red featured in the PSAs, an addict is probably not dressed head to toe in red, so they are not easy to spot. Chances are that here in West Virginia, you have encountered not just one or two, but many each day who are suffering from addiction.”
The PSAs focus attention on the challenge of spotting someone suffering from addiction, and provide resources for people to take action. The PSAs urge the friends and family of those struggling with addiction, as well as addicts themselves, to connect with appropriate local services. Viewers of the PSAs are encouraged to download The Call WV app, visit makethecallwv.com, or call the West Virginia state hotline at 1-844-HELP4WV (1-844-435-7498).
“One of the most frequent questions we hear is, when someone is ready to seek help for addiction or the addiction of a loved one or friend, where do they turn? One recent positive development is the state hotline. Another development we are here to introduce today is the launch of a new website and smartphone app to permit folks struggling with addiction to quickly and easily find resources in their immediate area. The website is makethecallwv.com and the app is known as The Call WV,” announced Goodwin. “The website is up and the app is available right now for Apple and Android smartphones. It uses the location function in your phone to show you the resources that exist in your immediate area. We are also working to integrate it with the state HELP4WV hotline.”
The Call WV app is a one-stop-shop for addiction recovery resources at the state and local level. The map feature of the app can provide assistance finding the nearest place to get help with addiction. The app also compiles information on facilities and organizations that can help someone find recovery housing, residential and non-residential treatment options, meetings and events in the local area, and resources available to prevent drug use in the first place. The purpose of the app is to empower individuals to get the answers they need about how to fight addiction, for themselves and for their loved ones, in their moments of need.
These initiatives were made possible through local partnerships in the public and private sectors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia partnered with the Huntington Police Department to complete these projects. Trifecta Productions, a Huntington business, created the PSAs, and Syntech Creative, also a Huntington business, built and will continue to update the smartphone app. The Huntington Mayor’s Office of Drug Control Policy also provided essential support for these initiatives.
The PSAs will be available to view at makethecallwv.com, and will be running on local television stations throughout the media markets of Southern West Virginia. The Call WV app is available for free download at the iTunes Store or on Google Play.
The PSAs and The Call WV app are part of a comprehensive strategy led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by law enforcement and public and private sector partners, is committed to aggressively pursuing and prosecuting those responsible for the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin, and also to providing resources to those impacted by drug addiction in communities across the Southern District.
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Parkersburg man sentenced on Federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to two years and six months in federal prison for distribution of heroin and crack, as well as two years for a violation of his supervised release, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. The sentences are to run consecutively for a total of four years and six months. William C. Barber, II, 45, of Parkersburg, previously entered a guilty plea to the federal drug charge.
Barber admitted that on September 18, 2014, he sold heroin and crack to an informant working with the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force. The drug deal took place outside of Barber’s residence in Parkersburg. At the time of the drug deal, Barber was on federal supervised release for possession with intent to distribute crack.
The Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Two more defendants sentenced for roles in Detroit to Huntington heroin conspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men who participated in a heroin conspiracy between 2012 and 2014 were sentenced today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Kenneth E. Baxter, 25, of Detroit, was sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to distributing heroin. Coty S. Richardson, 24, of South Point, Ohio, was sentenced to five years and ten months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to attempting to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
From November 2012 to December 8, 2014, Baxter led a conspiracy that involved the transportation of heroin from Detroit to Huntington for distribution. Once in Huntington, Baxter provided heroin to others, including Richardson, for distribution from multiple residences in the Huntington area. Baxter was also personally engaged in the drug deals, and sold heroin to confidential informants on four separate occasions between April and December of 2014.
One of the residences secured by the group was at 403 Homestead Place in Huntington. Richardson arranged for the lease of the residence, and the residence was used to prepare and distribute heroin. On December 6, 2014, a postal inspector with the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package addressed to the residence containing approximately 230 grams of heroin. Agents delivered the package that day and executed a search warrant at the residence after the package was accepted. Upon entering the residence, agents observed Richardson throwing the package from a second floor window. When Richardson was arrested, agents seized heroin, paraphernalia used to package and distribute heroin, and firearms from the residence.
Multiple defendants have been convicted of federal drug charges due to this investigation, including Paul A. Roberts, who pleaded guilty to maintaining a residence for the distribution of heroin in March 2015, Dustin S. Barton, who pleaded guilty to distributing heroin in August 2015, and Sean L. Gist, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin in September 2015. This investigation has also resulted in prison sentences for additional defendants for their roles in this conspiracy, including Ramone L. Wells, who was sentenced to four years in federal prison, and Pricilla Lee Dylan, who was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force, United States Postal Service, West Virginia State Police, and Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Ohio man pleads guilty to Federal gun chargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A South Point, Ohio, man, who shot himself in the foot with a firearm while driving on Interstate 64, pleaded guilty today to a federal gun charge, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Bradney Allen Adkins, 31, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On February 5, 2015, Adkins was traveling westbound on Interstate 64 in Barboursville while in possession of two handguns, a Glock 21SF .45 caliber pistol and a Walther PPK/S .380 caliber pistol. While driving, Adkins accidently shot himself in the foot with one of the handguns. Adkins went to Cabell Huntington Hospital to seek treatment for the gunshot wound. Troopers with the West Virginia State Police responded to the hospital, arrested Adkins, and recovered both handguns from the hospital’s dumpster.
Adkins was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of six previous felony convictions. In 2011, he was convicted in the Court of Common Pleas in Lawrence County, Ohio, of operating a vehicle under the influence, two counts of receiving stolen property, complicity to burglary, and grand theft of an automobile. Additionally, in 2012, Adkins was convicted in the Circuit Court of Delaware County, Indiana, of theft.
Adkins faces up to 10 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Huntington on February 29, 2016.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is in charge of the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.
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Huntington man sentenced on Federal oxycodone chargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A Huntington man who possessed and sold oxycodone was sentenced today to three years and one month in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Tracey Lee Gibson, 36, previously pleaded guilty in August 2015 in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.
On March 26, 2013, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at Gibson’s residence at 1608 Madison Avenue in Huntington. During the search, agents recovered 43 oxycodone pills that Gibson intended to sell. Agents also seized over $10,000 in cash proceeds from Gibson’s drug deals. Prior to the search, Gibson was also involved as a supplier in the sale of oxycodone to a confidential informant on three occasions.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Huntington man pleads guilty to Federal heroin chargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man who was caught with heroin pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Andre Robert Womble, II, 26, pleaded guilty in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
On December 11, 2014, officers with the Huntington Police Department responded to a complaint on the 300 block of Marcum Terrace in Huntington. An officer observed Womble and noted that he matched the description of the suspect in the complaint. When the officer attempted to approach, Womble began running from the police. The officer chased Womble and observed him throw a cigarette box on top of the Olive Street Market. The cigarette box was found by law enforcement to contain approximately 53 grams of heroin. Officers caught and arrested Womble, at which point they found an additional 20 bags of heroin in his pocket. Womble admitted that he intended to distribute all of the heroin.
Womble faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is schedule to be sentenced in federal court in Huntington on February 29, 2016.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force and Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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***media Advisory***Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin will launch public service announcements (PSAs) to highlight additional resources in the fight against drug addiction in West Virginia. Goodwin will also introduce a new smartphone app to assist in quickly connecting individuals with local services focused on substance abuse treatment.
The launch of these PSAs and the smartphone app will take place at a press conference in the U.S. Marshal’s Office, located in the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse in Charleston, on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, at 12:30 p.m.
WHO:
- United States Attorney Booth Goodwin
WHAT:
- Press conference to launch PSAs and introduce a new smartphone app in the fight against drug addiction
WHERE:
- Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse
- U.S. Marshal’s Office – Suite 3600
- 300 Virginia Street, East
- Charleston, WV 25301
WHEN:
- Tuesday, December 1, 2015, at 12:30 p.m.
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Pain doctor indicted on Federal drug chargesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Dr. Jose Jorge Abbud Gordinho, M.D., was indicted on multiple federal drug charges by a Grand Jury sitting in Beckley, West Virginia. Gordinho was arrested on November 12, 2015, at which time the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at his medical office on George Street in Beckley. Gordinho has been held in custody in the Southern Regional Jail since the date of his arrest.
The 21 count indictment includes allegations that Gordinho conspired to distribute pain medications such as oxycodone and morphine, not for legitimate medical purposes in the usual course of medical practice and beyond the bounds of medical practice. The indictment further alleges multiple counts of distribution of oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and morphine not for legitimate medical purposes in the usual course of medical practice and beyond the bounds of medical practice, as well as two counts of distributing controlled substances not within Gordinho’s capacity as a medical doctor.
Each of the 21 counts carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine. Gordinho is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on November 30, 2015, in federal court in Beckley. At that time, the court will also consider a motion filed by the United States to detain Gordinho pending his trial.
The charges are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case against Gordinho was investigated by the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Huntington woman sentenced for Federal firearms chargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A woman who brought a concealed weapon into the federal building in Huntington, West Virginia, was sentenced today in federal court in Huntington to seven months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Whitney H. Borders, 34, of Huntington, previously pleaded guilty in August 2015 to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On May 28, 2015, Borders passed through the Fifth Avenue entrance of the Sidney L. Christie United States Courthouse and Federal Building in Huntington and approached the security post to be screened for entry into the building. While Borders was being screened, security officers found a Jennings .22 caliber pistol in her purse. Borders is prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2004 felony conviction in Cabell County Circuit Court for forgery.
The United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.
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White Sulphur Springs man pleads guilty to Federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a White Sulphur Springs man pleaded guilty today to a drug charge in federal court Charleston, West Virginia. Darin Timothy Hoke, 21, admitted that on July 28, 2015, he distributed an oxymorphone pill to a confidential informant in White Sulphur Springs. Hoke further admitted that he distributed a total of over 600 oxymorphone pills, as well as 120 stamps of heroin.
Hoke faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine when he is sentenced on March 2, 2016.
This matter was investigated by the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney John File is handling the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted under the Greenbrier Valley Heroin and Pill Initiative, part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Mexican national pleads guilty to Federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a Mexican national residing in Madison, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today to a drug charge in federal court in Charleston. Leonel Vivian Castellanos, 28, from Vera Cruz, Mexico, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, admitting that between May 12 and May 19, 2015, he distributed approximately 500 grams of methamphetamine to informants in Kanawha and Boone Counties.
In addition to the drugs Castellanos distributed to informants, law enforcement later found more methamphetamine during the course of the investigation. On May 21, 2015, police arrested Castellanos and found him in possession of another 50 grams of methamphetamine at his home in Madison. That same day, during the execution of a search warrant in Nitro, law enforcement seized approximately 500 grams of additional methamphetamine that Castellanos admitted to distributing.
Castellanos faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine when he is sentenced on February 23, 2016.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, Homeland Security Investigations, the Kanawha Bureau of Investigation, and the South Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Princeton man pleads guilty to Federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Princeton man pleaded guilty today to a drug charge in federal court in Bluefield, West Virginia. Albert Delorso, 51, pleaded guilty to distribution of hydromorphone, admitting that on June 30, 2015, he sold three hydromorphone pills to an informant near Bluewell. Delorso faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine when he is sentenced on March 1, 2016.
The Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney John File is handling the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Bluefield Pill Initiative, a collaborative, multi-agency regional law enforcement effort designed to halt prescription drug trafficking in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties. The Bluefield Pill Initiative is led by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, which includes the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation; the Mercer, McDowell and Wyoming County Sheriff’s Departments; and the Bluefield and Princeton Police Departments.
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Charleston man pleads guilty in Federal court to heroin distributionRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Antoine Maurice Brown, 32, of Charleston, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to distribution of heroin, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Brown admitted that on June 26, 2013, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven on Washington Street, East, in Charleston. Brown faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on February 17, 2016.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Charleston man pleads guilty in Federal court to crack and heroin distributionRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Anton R. Courts, 40, of Charleston, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to distribution of both crack and heroin, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Courts admitted to selling quantities of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and heroin in April 2015 to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deals took place in the Wertz Avenue area of Charleston. Courts faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine when he is sentenced on February 18, 2016.
The investigation was conducted by the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Ohio man sentenced in Federal court for role in oxycodone distributionRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Joseph Cremeans, 28, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was sentenced today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, to three years and one month in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and oxymorphone, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Cremeans, who previously pleaded guilty to the federal conspiracy charge in August 2015, admitted to travelling to Georgia on four occasions with other individuals to unlawfully obtain prescription medications. Cremeans then transported the illicit prescriptions back to West Virginia to be sold for profit in Huntington. On each trip, Cremeans admitted to obtaining and transporting more than 100 thirty milligram oxycodone pills.
The successful prosecution of Cremeans and his criminal associates was the result of the investigative efforts of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Boone County man pleads guilty in Federal court to illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Blain Salmons, Jr., 40, of Alum Creek, West Virginia, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Charleston to being a felon in possession of a firearm. On October 29, 2015, Salmons was arrested by the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. At the time of his arrest, police determined that Salmons had been hunting out of season and was in possession of a Glenfield Model 30A, 30-30 rifle. Salmons was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 1997 felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for kidnapping and aggravated robbery.
Salmons faces up to ten years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on February 29, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecution.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.
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Clay County man pleads guilty in Federal court to illegally possessing handgunRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Lloyd Ellis Rapp, 44, of Ivydale, West Virginia, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Charleston to being a felon in possession of a firearm. On June 15, 2015, Rapp was fleeing from the West Virginia State Police on his motorcycle. The pursuit ended with Rapp wrecking his motorcycle and being arrested. After the wreck, the West Virginia State Police found that Rapp was in possession of a Hi-Point Model C-9, 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Rapp was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2008 felony conviction in United States District Court, Southern District of West Virginia, for distribution of methamphetamine.
Rapp faces up to ten years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on February 16, 2016.
This case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecution.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.
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Florida man sentenced in Federal court for drug trafficking from Florida to West VirginiaRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to 10 years in federal prison and a $10,000 fine for participating in an oxycodone distribution and money laundering conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Lester W. Taylor, 46, of Daytona Beach, Florida, previously entered his guilty plea to conspiracy charges concerning distribution of oxycodone and laundering the proceeds of his criminal activities.
From January 2010 through May 2014, Taylor was involved in trafficking pills from Florida to West Virginia using a variety of illicit methods. Taylor sent several packages containing oxycodone pills to Lincoln County for illegal distribution. Law enforcement intercepted one of those packages on January 8, 2011, which contained 1,000 30mg oxycodone pills. Taylor also admitted to obtaining prescriptions for oxycodone and hydromorphone from physicians in Florida and then having the prescriptions filled at pharmacies in West Virginia. The pharmacy primarily used for this unlawful activity, A+ Care Pharmacy, formerly located in Barboursville, has since been prosecuted in federal court by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, and is no longer in business.
After distributing the pills, Taylor’s co-conspirators deposited the proceeds in West Virginia bank accounts bearing Taylor’s name. Taylor would then withdraw the money in Florida in an effort to conceal the source of the cash and the pills.
The West Virginia State Police, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Huntington woman sentenced on Federal heroin chargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman was sentenced today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, to two years and nine months in federal prison for participating in a heroin distribution conspiracy in 2012 and 2013, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Pricilla Lee Dylan, 21, had previously entered a guilty plea to maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing and using heroin.
Between November of 2012 and March of 2013, Dylan was the tenant of an apartment located at 1231 10th Avenue in Huntington. During that period, Dylan allowed others to store heroin at her apartment after it was transported to Huntington from Detroit. Dylan also allowed others to distribute heroin from her apartment to various customers.
On March 8, 2013, agents with the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Dylan’s apartment. During the search, agents seized heroin, a .32 caliber revolver, ammunition, and other items associated with the sale of heroin.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is responsible for the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Detroit man sentenced in Federal court for selling heroinRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man who sold heroin to undercover agents on multiple occasions in March of 2015 was sentenced today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, to two years and three months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Bryant D. Long, II, 29, of Detroit, previously pleaded guilty to distributing heroin.
On March 13, 2015, Long agreed to meet with undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in Huntington, where he sold them 8.5 grams of heroin for $1,200. During the meeting, Long also made arrangements with the agents for future heroin sales. The heroin distributed by Long was confirmed through laboratory testing to contain heroin and Fentanyl, a schedule II painkiller that is particularly dangerous when mixed with heroin. On March 23, 2015, Long met with agents again, and sold an additional 9.8 grams of heroin in exchange for $1,250.
On March 30, 2015, Long was arrested after agents executed a search warrant at 504 Marcum Terrace in Huntington. Agents seized additional heroin during the search and Long admitted that he had been in Huntington for the prior month distributing heroin and crack cocaine.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is responsible for the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Charleston man pleads guilty in Federal court to murdering witnessRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man who murdered a witness against him pleaded guilty today, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Marlon Dewayne Dixon, 39, entered his guilty plea in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to witness tampering by killing.
At approximately 3:00 a.m. on July 12, 2014, Dixon lured Branda Mae Delight Basham, the murder victim, to a secluded section of railroad track in Charleston near the 700 block of Breece Street. At gunpoint, Dixon forced Basham to admit working with police to make undercover purchases of heroin from him. He then repeatedly shot Basham with a 9 mm pistol, killing her. She was 22 years old. After the murder, Dixon went to a nearby residence on Madison Street where he cleaned himself and disposed of his clothing. The next day, police interviewed a local woman who identified the Madison Street residence where she had seen Dixon shortly before the time of the murder.
Detectives from the Charleston Police Department executed a search warrant at the Madison Street residence. Police seized video from a surveillance camera that recorded Dixon wiping down the front door of the residence and carrying away several bags. Detectives also seized a pair of Dixon’s shoes found at the residence. Basham’s DNA was recovered from bloodstains on the shoes.
On July 17, 2014, Dixon surrendered to Charleston Police. He waived his Miranda rights and confessed to killing Basham. He admitted that he intended to retaliate against Basham for cooperating with law enforcement and to prevent her from testifying against him.
At the time of the murder, Dixon had been previously convicted of several felony offenses. These included federal drug trafficking convictions in 1999 and 2006, and a Kanawha County conviction of malicious wounding in 2007.
Dixon faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison when he is sentenced on March 17, 2016.
“The murder of Branda Basham is another tragic reminder of the horrible impact that heroin and opioid trafficking has had on our community. I want to join the prosecutors and law enforcement involved in this investigation to express my deepest condolences to the Basham family,” said U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. “My office remains committed, along with our partners in law enforcement, to aggressively prosecuting violent drug dealers like Marlon Dixon and to supporting treatment and recovery for those suffering from opioid addiction. I also want to commend the bravery of those citizens who came forward and provided invaluable information that led to the arrest and successful prosecution of Dixon. Their willingness to cooperate with this investigation has made it possible for justice to be served.”
This case was investigated by the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is in charge of the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs targeting gun violence. This cases was also prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down drug trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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