Southern District of West Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Mikayla Lanay Johnson, 27, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 11, 2024, Johnson sold approximately 4 grams of crack and 4.5 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant. Johnson admitted to the transaction, to arranging it beforehand, and to conducting it at her Huntington residence.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-150.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Curtis Lavall Capers, 36, of Huntington, was sentenced today to eight years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of quantities of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 15, 2022, Capers sold quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a 7th Avenue residence in Huntington. Capers admitted to the transaction and to arranging it with the confidential informant beforehand.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Taylor and Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-87.
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Raleigh County Woman Sentenced for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Melanie E. Hussain, 25, of Crab Orchard, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including six months on home detention, for distribution of a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 2, 2022, Hussain sold approximately 4.2 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $300. Hussain admitted to the transaction and to selling 2.3 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant in exchange for $300 on November 3, 2022. Hussain conducted both transactions at her Crab Orchard residence.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-137.
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Illinois Woman Sentenced for Marriage Fraud and PerjuryRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kalee Ann Huff, 28, of Fairbury, Illinois, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including one year on home detention, for marriage fraud and perjury.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 3, 2021, Huff was living in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, when she married a foreign national. As part of her guilty plea, Huff admitted that the marriage was part of a plan to keep the foreign national in the United States because his immigration visa was about to expire. Huff further admitted that she was pressured into entering the fake marriage because her family needed money, that she agreed to marry the foreign national in exchange for $10,000, but that she never directly received or spent any money from the scheme.
Huff and the foreign national planned to divorce once he obtained lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a Green Card. In March 2023, Huff and the foreign national were interviewed by U.S. immigration officials in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Huff and the foreign national unsuccessfully tried to trick the officials into believing their marriage was entered into in good faith and their relationship was genuine. The foreign national’s Green Card application was denied.
On August 8, 2023, immigration officers confronted Huff about the fake marriage scheme. Huff signed a statement admitting that she knowingly entered into the marriage for the purpose of evading U.S. immigration laws. On December 10, 2024, Huff appeared before a federal grand jury in Charleston, pursuant to a subpoena and a cooperation provision in the marriage fraud case against her. Huff admitted that she committed perjury during her grand jury testimony when she answered questions falsely about material facts relating to the government’s investigation.
The foreign national, Aakash Prakash Makwana, pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025, to aggravated identity theft. Makwana, 29, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, admitted that he included the name and signature of a residential property manager without the individual’s authorization when he falsified a lease agreement as part of the marriage fraud scheme. Makwana is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025.
Huff’s brother-in-law, Joseph Sanchez, helped to arrange the fake marriage. Sanchez, 33, of Fairbury, Illinois, pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025, to participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy. Sanchez admitted that he pressured Huff to participate in the fake marriage scheme. Sanchez further admitted that he was promised the $10,000 as part of the scheme, but that he only received $3,000. Sanchez was sentenced to five years of federal probation on May 28, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the cases.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:25-cr-20 and 2:25-cr-23.
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Ritchie County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Dana Johnson II, 36, of Cairo, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2024, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Johnson in Parkersburg. Johnson admitted that he possessed a loaded SCCY model DVG-1 9mm pistol and a loaded Walther model P22 .22-caliber pistol that the officer found in Johnson’s waistband during the traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Johnson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver heroin on October 2, 2016, and first-degree robbery on January 12, 2012, both in Wood County Circuit Court.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Wood County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-27.
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Huntington Man Sentenced for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Mark Radford, 33, of Huntington, was sentenced today to time served and 15 years of supervised release, including six months on home detention, for possession of child pornography. Radford must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 3, 2020, law enforcement officers seized Radford’s cell phone. A forensic examination of the cell phone revealed approximately 22 images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Radford admitted to downloading the images from the internet. Radford further admitted that some of the images depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexual conduct.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Julie M. White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-61.
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Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for failing to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Q.B. died as a result of the officers’ assault. Ashley Toney, 25, was sentenced to 78 months in prison.
According to her plea agreement, then-Correctional Officer Toney acknowledged that she responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. Toney and other officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. and then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where multiple officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone, as punishment for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Toney admitted that she had an opportunity to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting Q.B. but chose not to make any reasonable effort to do so.
Toney pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on Aug. 8, 2024.
“This former corrections officer violated her duty as a law enforcement officer, and the public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I thank our Civil Rights Division prosecutors and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who saw these cases through appropriate sentencing.”
“The defendant’s inaction led to the death of a 37-year-old man, and afterwards she attempted to shield herself and fellow officers from being held accountable for his death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia. “Through her criminal conduct, the defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system she swore to uphold. I commend the Civil Rights Division for their outstanding advocacy in this case.”
Six corrections officers were charged in this case. In November 2024, three of those defendants — Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters — each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. In August 2024, Jacob Boothe pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, Walters, and Boothe are scheduled for July 9.
On Jan. 27, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester to 210 months.
Prior to their respective indictments, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. On May 8, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to 108 months. Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Volk on July 14.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for failing to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Q.B. died as a result of the officers’ assault. Ashley Toney, 25, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, then-Correctional Officer Toney acknowledged that she responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. Toney and other officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. and then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where multiple officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone, as punishment for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Toney admitted that she had an opportunity to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting Q.B. but chose not to make any reasonable effort to do so.
Toney pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on August 8, 2024, to deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in physical injury.
“This former corrections officer violated her duty as a law enforcement officer, and the public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “I thank our Civil Rights Division prosecutors and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who saw these cases through appropriate sentencing.”
“The defendant’s inaction led to the death of a 37-year-old man, and afterwards she attempted to shield herself and fellow officers from being held accountable for his death,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Through her criminal conduct, the defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system she swore to uphold. I commend the Civil Rights Division for their outstanding advocacy in this case.”
Six corrections officers were charged in this case. In November 2024, three of those defendants — Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters — each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. In August 2024, Jacob Boothe pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, Walters, and Boothe are scheduled for July 9, 2025.
On Jan. 27, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, 2025, Lester was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison.
Prior to their respective indictments, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. On May 8, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison. Fleshman is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2025.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-124.
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Honduran Citizen Living Illegally in the United States Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Wilson Geovanny Nunez, also known as “Wilson Nunez,” 36, a citizen of Honduras living illegally in the United States, pleaded guilty today to reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to seven months of incarceration. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer on Nunez so he can be transferred to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings once he serves the sentence imposed in this case.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 29, 2024, Nunez was arrested by law enforcement following a traffic stop in Hurricane, West Virginia. ICE agents confirmed that Nunez was a citizen of Honduras in the United States illegally and that he had previously been deported six times from the United States. Nunez had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.
Nunez was removed from the United States to Honduras on February 28, 2014; June 9, 2014; July 5, 2018; April 8, 2020; November 8, 2020; and June 2, 2021. Nunez was previously convicted of the felony offense of illegal reentry of a removed alien in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on April 14, 2021.
Nunez never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States for either of the prior removals, nor did he seek to reenter the United States through other legal means.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing and imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-8.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Allen Lation Baird, 48, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Baid on an arrest warrant issued in Michigan. Officers searched Baird while taking him into custody and found approximately 56 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and 14 grams of methamphetamine. Baird told officers he was taking the controlled substances to someone else.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-183.
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Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in COVID-19 Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Damisha Brown, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Brown received $15,625 in proceeds from a criminally derived Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, co-defendant Kisha Sutton conspired with Brown and others to obtain fraudulent PPP loans. Sutton submitted a PPP loan application on Brown’s behalf on April 25, 2021. The application listed Brown as a sole proprietor hair dresser who received $75,000 in gross income in 2020. The application was filed with an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business, stating that the applicant had earned $75,000 in 2020. As part of her guilty plea, Brown admitted that she never earned $75,000 as a hair dresser in one year and that the IRS Form 1040 submitted with her application was fraudulent and created solely to obtain the PPP loan.
A PPP lender in California approved Brown’s loan application. The $15,625 in loan proceeds was deposited in Brown’s personal bank account on April 30, 2021. Brown admitted that she knew the $15,625 represented proceeds from the fraudulent PPP loan. Between April 30 and May 27, 2021, Sutton received $3,500 from Brown as her share of the fraudulent PPP loan proceeds. Brown transferred the money to Sutton using a digital wallet application. Brown admitted that she transferred the $3,500 as Sutton’s compensation for facilitating the submission of her fraudulent loan, in keeping with their agreement. Brown further admitted that she spent the remainder of the loan proceeds on ineligible personal expenses.
The CARES Act made forgivable PPP loans available to qualifying sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to replace their normal income and for certain other eligible expenses. Applicants were required to certify that they were in operation on February 15, 2020, and provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Brown also owes $12,125 in restitution.
Brown and Sutton, 44, of Jersey City, New Jersey, are among seven individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they and others conspired, as well as aided and abetted one another, to obtain fraudulent PPP loans totaling $140,625. On March 25, 2025, co-defendant William Powell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and co-defendant Jasmine Spencer pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting bank fraud. Powell, 35, of Huntington, and Spencer, 32, of Charleston, are scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2025. The indictment against Sutton and the other defendants remains pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan T. Storage and Jennifer D. Gordon and former Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson have prosecuted the case.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-192.
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Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: California-Based Supplier Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Alejandro Gallegos, also known as “Alex,” “Rooster,” “G” and “Primo,” 42, of Hacienda Heights, California, was sentenced today to 27 years in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Gallegos admitted to a major supplier role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about February 2021 to in or about March 2023, Gallegos conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine within the Southern District of West Virginia.
On March 18, 2023, Gallegos directed co-defendant Ildiberto Gonzalez Jr. to deliver approximately 196 pounds of methamphetamine and four kilograms of cocaine from California to Bluefield, West Virginia, in his 2009 Freightliner semi-truck with attached trailer. Gallegos arranged the shipment in exchange for approximately $400,000 with another co-conspirator in West Virginia. Gallegos had Gonzalez and the West Virginia co-conspirator meet in a particular parking lot in Bluefield on March 22, 2023. There, Gonzalez provided the controlled substances to the other individual in exchange for a box that Gonzalez believed contained the cash.
Gonzalez Jr., 31, of San Bernadino, California, was sentenced on July 22, 2024, to 14 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine.
Gallegos and Gonzalez are among 31 individuals convicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Gallegos was found by the Court to be responsible for approximately 740 pounds of methamphetamine through his role in the drug trafficking organization.
“No defendant sentenced in the Southern District of West Virginia has been responsible for the amount of methamphetamine attributable to this defendant. There is no comparison,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “While thousands of miles away from our communities, he directed methamphetamine from Mexico to West Virginia for the sake of profits, knowing that his actions would add to the devastation of the drug abuse crisis in the Southern District of West Virginia.”
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-32.
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Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Robert Lee Moran, 47, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 29, 2024, Moran distributed approximately 0.857 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $100 in Beckley. As part of his guilty plea, Moran admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
On April 30, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Moran’s residence and seized two bags of suspected fentanyl, multiple firearms and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
Moran has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for domestic battery, destruction of property, possession of a hoax bomb and harboring a fugitive.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-141.
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Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ross Jay Bailey, 50, of Cool Ridge, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money. Bailey obtained a $2 million loan through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for his business and instead converted at least $1.4 million of the proceeds for his personal enrichment.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about June 30, 2020, Bailey obtained an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) of $150,000 on behalf of his business, R&R Delivery Service Inc. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide EIDL program loans of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bailey successfully applied to increase the loan amount in August 2021 to $500,000 and in February 2022 to the $2 million maximum. Bailey certified that he would use all loans proceeds solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic.
As part of his guilty plea, Bailey admitted that he transferred at least $1.4 million of the EIDL proceeds from his business’s bank account to his personal bank account from on or about March 1, 2022, through on or about May 31, 2022. Bailey further admitted that he converted these funds into purchases of stock and cryptocurrency for his personal enrichment.
Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bailey also owes at least $1,518,013.58 in restitution, with a final amount to be determined by the Court.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case.
Bailey’s brother, Ryan Keith Bailey, 47, of Beaver, pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025 to theft of government money. Ryan Keith Bailey obtained $2,166,517.40 in loans through the CARES Act for his business and instead converted nearly all of the proceeds for his personal use. Ryan Keith Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 2025.
Mark William Bailey, 52, of Beckley and a cousin of Ross Jay Bailey and Ryan Keith Bailey, pleaded guilty on September 8, 2023, to theft of government monies, admitting he stole approximately $451,237.51 in SBA loans he obtained through the CARES Act. On October 25, 2024, Mark William Bailey was sentenced to five years of federal probation, including one year on home detention, and paid $451,237.51 in restitution and an additional $451,237.98 as a civil penalty to settle False Claims Act allegations.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:24-cr-105.
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Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to Transport Contraband into FCI McDowell with DroneRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Miguel Angel Aleman-Piceno, 22, of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit the felony crime of attempting to introduce contraband into a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 1, 2024, Aleman-Piceno traveled on foot with co-defendant Francisco Alejandro Gonzalez to the fence surrounding Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell. Aleman-Piceno and Gonzalez possessed a backpack and a duffle bag containing a drone and two camouflaged packages containing four cell phones, chargers, phone cards, marijuana, and tobacco. As part of his guilty plea, Aleman-Piceno admitted that they intended to fly the packages onto the grounds of FCI McDowell using the drone, and were stopped by law enforcement as they prepared to launch the drone.
Aleman-Piceno further admitted to traveling to McDowell County, West Virginia, from Chicago with Gonzalez and co-defendant Arturo Joel Gallegos, believing that he would be paid $3,000 to deliver the packages into the prison by drone. Aleman-Piceno also admitted that he and his two co-defendants stayed an area motel where law enforcement seized marijuana, tobacco and materials used to make the camouflaged packages.
Aleman-Piceno is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
The indictment against Gonzalez, 24, and Gallegos, 26, both of Chicago, remains pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus, 32, of Sanford, North Carolina, Raymond Luis Saez Aviles, 37, of Poinciana, Florida, and Gamalier Rivera, 33, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, each pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison in a separate indictment. On February 9, 2024, DeJesus, Aviles, and Rivera used a drone to transport marijuana, tobacco, and cell phones into FCI McDowell. DeJesus and Aviles are scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2025. Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-126.
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Bluefield Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – April Elick, 43, of Bluefield, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money. Elick obtained $84,000 in COVID-19 loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and converted loan proceeds for her personal use.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Elick obtained two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $14,520 in April 2021, after claiming the funds were for her home healthcare business to help cover payrolls and other qualifying expenses. Elick also received a $61,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) authorized by the CARES Act in January 2022 and successfully applied to increase that COVID-19 business relief loan by $8,700 in April 2022.
As part of her guilty plea, Elick admitted that she knew she could use the loan proceeds only for purposes specifically allowed by those CARES Act programs. Elick further admitted that she used loan fund for personal expenses, including approximately $30,560 through cash withdrawals, approximately $16,350 in digital wallet transfers and $8,290.11 in purchases for goods and services in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.
The CARES Act made forgivable PPP loans available to adversely impacted eligible businesses and sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals, and also authorized the SBA to provide EIDL program loans of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption.
Elick is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Elick also owes $97,802.59 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman and J. Parker Bazzle II have prosecuted the case.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-56.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced for Obstructing MailRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brice Allen Pomeroy, 26, of Hernshaw, was sentenced today to two years of federal probation and ordered to pay $2,051.21 in restitution for obstruction of mail.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 11, 2023, Pomeroy knowingly and willfully threw away approximately 227 pieces of mail by depositing a large plastic bad containing the mail pieces into a trash can located outside a gas service station in Charleston.
At the time of the offense, Pomeroy was employed by a United States Postal Service vendor as a mail handler at the vendor’s facility in Charleston. The 227 pieces of mail included Mother’s Day, graduation, anniversary, and birthday cards. Any cash or gift cards that had been in the mail pieces was removed by the time they were discarded at the service station. Over $2,000 in cash or gift cards was reported stolen.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-2.
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Honduran Citizen Living Illegally in West Virginia Sentenced to Prison for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Nolvin Alfredo-Diaz, also known as “Alfredo Diaz” and “Nolvin Alfredo Diaz,” 43, a citizen of Honduras living illegally in Lewisburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to three years in prison for reentry of a removed alien. Alfredo-Diaz will be remanded to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings at the conclusion of his sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 21, 2024, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Alfredo-Diaz in Lewisburg. Alfredo-Diaz admitted that he was a citizen of Honduras in the United States illegally and that he had previously been deported from the United States. Alfredo-Diaz had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.
Fingerprints matched Alfredo-Diaz to two prior removals from the United States to Honduras, each following a felony criminal conviction. Alfredo-Diaz was convicted of felony heroin possession on September 25, 2006, and of felony cocaine possession on December 20, 2007, both in Denver County, Colorado, District Court. Alfredo-Diaz was removed from the United States to Honduras on December 27, 2006. On July 21, 2010, Alfredo-Diaz was found in Canon City, Colorado, and was removed from the United States to Honduras on August 5, 2010.
Alfredo-Diaz never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States for either of the prior removals, nor did he seek to reenter the United States through other legal means.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-146.
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Bluefield Woman Sentenced to Prison for Witness Tampering Conspiracy in Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Laurel Blankenship, 58, of Bluefield, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit witness tampering.
On January 18, 2024, a federal jury found Blankenship and her husband, Terry Leon Blankenship, guilty of conspiracy to commit witness tampering following a one-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that from on or about April 4, 2023 through at least July 25, 2023, the Blankenships conspired to influence the testimony of a witness in a federal sex trafficking case against Terry Leon Blankenship.
The witness was a 12-year-old girl who alleged that Terry Leon Blankenship had paid her for sexual activity with vapes and other items. Based upon those allegations, Terry Leon Blankenship was indicted on a charge of sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 14. Later, the minor victim recanted the allegation during the course of a West Virginia Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation that could have resulted in her being placed into foster care. In multiple recorded audio and video jail calls while Terry Leon Blankenship was incarcerated pending trial in the sex trafficking case, he and his wife had numerous conversations about ensuring that the minor witness maintained the recantation she had allegedly made to CPS. The recorded conversations included discussions about bribing the minor witness with an iPhone to ensure she stood by her recantation.
At the time of this offense conduct, Terry Leon Blankenship was a registered sex offender after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 5, 2008. He was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison in that case, and was serving a lifetime term of supervised release at the time of the alleged sex trafficking offense and subsequent attempts at witness tampering.
Following an evidentiary hearing, the Court concluded that Terry Leon Blankenship engaged in sex acts with the minor female, that her initial disclosure of his sexual abuse was credible, and that the later recantation was not.
“Despite knowing that her husband was on federal supervised release and not permitted to be around children, Laurel Blankenship allowed children into their home including overnight,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “She fostered the environment that allowed her husband to sexually abuse the child.”
The jury also convicted Terry Leon Blankenship, 56, of interfering with the enforcement of federal sex trafficking laws and attempted witness tampering. He was sentenced on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, to 12 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He is scheduled for a revocation hearing on his alleged violations of supervised release on June 10, 2025.
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-97.
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Mercer County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Witness Tampering Conspiracy in Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terry Leon Blankenship, 56, of Bluefield, was sentenced on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, to 12 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for obstruction of justice related to a sex trafficking prosecution.
On January 18, 2024, a federal jury found Blankenship guilty of interfering with the enforcement of federal sex trafficking laws and attempted witness tampering and found Blankenship and his wife, Laurel Blankenship, guilty of conspiracy to commit witness tampering following a one-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that from on or about April 4, 2023 through at least July 25, 2023, the couple conspired to influence the testimony of a witness in a federal sex trafficking case against Terry Leon Blankenship.
The witness was a 12-year-old girl who alleged that Terry Leon Blankenship had paid her for sexual activity with vapes and other items. Based upon those allegations, Terry Leon Blankenship was indicted on a charge of sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 14. Later, the minor victim recanted the allegation during the course of a West Virginia Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation that could have resulted in her being placed into foster care. In multiple recorded audio and video jail calls while Terry Leon Blankenship was incarcerated pending trial in the sex trafficking case, he and his wife had numerous conversations about ensuring that the minor witness maintained the recantation she had allegedly made to CPS. The recorded conversations included discussions about bribing the minor witness with an iPhone to ensure she stood by her recantation.
Citing evidence presented at an earlier hearing, the Court concluded at sentencing that Terry Leon Blankenship engaged in sex acts with the minor female, that her initial disclosure of his sexual abuse was credible, and that the later recantation was not. The Court also found that Terry Leon Blankenship obstructed justice by testifying falsely at the earlier hearing.
At the time of this offense conduct, Terry Leon Blankenship was a registered sex offender after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 5, 2008. Terry Leon Blankenship was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison in that case, and was serving a lifetime term of supervised release at the time of the alleged sex trafficking offense and subsequent attempts at witness tampering.
“The evidence showed that Terry Leon Blankenship was a registered sex offender on supervised release for possessing child pornography when he repeatedly sexually abused a minor female over several months,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “He preyed on her and then conspired to escape accountability for his crimes by attempting to corruptly persuade the minor to recant her initial allegations.”
Laurel Blankenship, 58, of Bluefield, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025. Terry Leon Blankenship is scheduled for a revocation hearing on his alleged violations of supervised release on June 10, 2025.
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-97.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Donald A. Ennis, 43, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $513,072.28 in restitution for two counts of wire fraud. Ennis admitted that he filed false insurance claims to obtain $347,237.70 after setting fire to his residence and defrauded a volunteer fire department of $153,728 while serving as its finance and operations manager.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2018 Ennis purchased a residence on Ridgeview Way in St. Albans with assistance from a mortgage company that required him to insure the residence for loss. Ennis obtained a residential insurance policy with a maximum value of $161,100 for the dwelling and $120,825 for its contents. Ennis paid an annual premium of approximately $979.35 for the policy, which had effective dates from November 8, 2020, through November 8, 2021. The policy covered losses for multiple contingencies including fire, and explicitly excluded intentional acts of loss or damage by Ennis.
Ennis admitted that he intentionally set fire to his residence on February 15, 2021. The fire department responded but could not extinguish the fire, which consumed the residence and left it and its contents a total loss. Ennis falsely reported the fire to his Indiana-based insurance company as an accident later that day and began the process of filing a claim. Ennis admitted that he placed a series of claims electronically from February 21, 2021, to March 19, 2021, fraudulently claiming losses from the fire. Ennis further admitted that he obtained $347,237.70 from the insurance company as a result of this wire fraud scheme. The fraudulent insurance funds were deposited in Ennis’ bank account.
From at least 2009 through 2022, Ennis worked for a volunteer fire department serving the Tornado area of Kanawha County. As its finance and operations manager, Ennis had access to the fire department’s North Carolina-based bank debit card and regularly acted as its accountant. Ennis admitted that from some time prior to March 19, 2020 through about September 18, 2022, he fraudulently obtained $153,728 of the fire department’s funds through a series of ATM withdrawals and dozens of unauthorized online purchases with its debit card for his personal benefit.
“This prosecution sends an important and firm message that those who commit arson for financial gain will be prosecuted and brought to justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The fire put others at risk – first responders as well as neighbors. The defendant also deprived the volunteer fire department of vital funds.”
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner-Special Investigations Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-129.
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Illinois Man Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Joseph Sanchez, 33, of Fairbury, Illinois, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation for participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in or around August 2021, Sanchez was living in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. A foreign national who worked at a convenience store near Sanchez’s residence offered to pay Sanchez if he found a woman willing to marry the foreign national so he could obtain lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a Green Card. Sanchez ultimately agreed to the request in exchange for $10,000 in cash. The understanding was that $5,000 would be paid upon the marriage being final, and another $5,000 would be paid once the foreign national received his Green Card.
Sanchez arranged to have his sister-in-law marry the foreign national. Sanchez told his sister-in-law about the purpose of the arrangement and the financial benefits associated with it. The sister-in-law had only occasionally interacted with the foreign national, as a customer at his convenience store. The sister-in-law and Sanchez had no social connections to the foreign national beyond frequenting the convenience store.
In September 2021, Sanchez’s sister-in-law and the foreign national were married in White Sulphur Springs. In March 2023, Sanchez traveled with the sister-in-law and the foreign national to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the trip was for the sister-in-law and the foreign national to attend an interview with U.S. immigration officials to trick those officials into believing the marriage was entered into in good faith and that the relationship between the sister-in-law and the foreign national was genuine. The scheme was unsuccessful, and the foreign national’s application was denied.
The foreign national, Aakash Prakash Makwana, pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025, to aggravated identity theft. Makwana, 29, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, admitted that he included the name and signature of a residential property manager without the individual’s authorization when he falsified a lease agreement as part of the marriage fraud scheme. Makwana is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025.
The sister-in-law, Kalee Ann Huff, pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025, to marriage fraud and perjury. Huff, 28, now living in Fairbury, Illinois, admitted to her role in the marriage fraud scheme and to testifying falsely before a federal grand jury about material facts relating to the government’s investigation. Huff is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-198.
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Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Joshua Mason Trotter, 44, of Crab Orchard, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 1, 2024, Trotter possessed a Glock model 21 .45-caliber pistol and a CBC model 817 .17-caliber rifle. Trotter admitted to possessing the firearms and further admitted to possessing a 26-round high-capacity magazine for .45-caliber ammunition, approximately 10.51 grams of methamphetamine, and a total of 25.95 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, a synthetic opioid, in several packages.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Trotter knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in Kanawha County Circuit Court on November 29, 2017.
Trotter is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-22.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced for Withholding Information in Bankruptcy CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Eugene Wells, 73, of Marmet, was sentenced today to one year of federal probation for withholding records relating to the property or financial affairs of a debtor in bankruptcy from an officer of the court or a United States Trustee entitled to its possession.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2022, a Charleston business solely owned by Wells’ wife filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Wells helped with the business’ day-to-day management, including by overseeing many of its financial affairs, but was never an employee of the business or a registered owner or manager. As part of his guilty plea, Wells admitted that he applied for and obtained five loans in the business’ name from February 2023 through February 2024, knowing that the business had filed for bankruptcy protection. Wells further admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the loans to the United States Trustee, who oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.
On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court held a hearing on the U.S. Trustee’s motion to dismiss the business’ bankruptcy case. That day, the bankruptcy lawyer for the business informed the U.S. Trustee of the existence of one of the four loans that Wells had obtained by that time in the business’ name. When the bankruptcy court confronted Wells about the loan, Wells lied under oath about the circumstances surrounding its origins. As part of his guilty plea, Wells admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the other three active loans while the bankruptcy judge questioned him under oath. Wells further admitted that the fifth loan, obtained on February 8, 2024, was not approved by the bankruptcy court or disclosed to the U.S. Trustee. On February 21, 2024, the bankruptcy court dismissed the business’ bankruptcy case.
A total of $68,000 was obtained in proceeds from the five loans and used for the business’ operations or to pay down debt. The lender charged the business $9,750 in fees. Wells’ agreement with the lender gave the lender priority status over other creditors, including by granting the undisclosed lender direct access to the business’ bank account. This arrangement allowed the lender to withdraw funds directly from the business’ account without court oversight.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-7.
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Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ronald Robinson, 55, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 15, 2024, Robinson sold a quantity of a substance containing methamphetamine to a confidential informant. As part of his plea agreement, Robinson admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling a substance containing methamphetamine on two other occasions in October 2024. Each transaction occurred in Parkersburg.
On October 16, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a motel room where Robinson was staying and seized approximately 40.307 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine and approximately 7.368 grams of a substance containing a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers also seized $501 including recorded currency from the controlled buys.
Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
At the time of this offense, Robinson was serving terms of supervised release as a result of his convictions on July 12, 2004, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form known as crack, and on March 28, 2017, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, both in United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force, the Police Department, and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer D. Gordon and Francesca C. Rollo have prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-11.
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Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to more than 17 Years in Prison on Conspiracy and Obstruction ChargesRead the Press Release
Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, WV, was sentenced to 210 months in prison.
On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents.
Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9.
Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14.
On May 8, U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to serve 108 months in prison.
“This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.”
“On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virgina. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.”
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Conspiracy and Obstruction CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, West Virginia, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
On January 27, 2025, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents.
Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9, 2025.
Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14, 2025. Chief U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison on May 8, 2025.
“This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.”
“On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.”
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-188.
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Citizen of India Unlawfully Living in Greenbrier County Pleads Guilty in Marriage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Aakash Prakash Makwana, 29, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft. Makwana admitted that he committed the offense as part of a scheme to marry a United States citizen to evade U.S. immigration laws.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 23, 2019, Makwana arrived in the United States on a J-1 non-immigrant visit under which he worked in hotel hospitality and culinary service. As part of his guilty plea, Makwana admitted that he knew the J1 visa was valid for one year and that he remained in the United States after the visa was not extended and expired on November 24, 2020.
In or around August 2021, Makwana conspired with others to marry a U.S. citizen for $10,000 so he could apply for Lawful Permanent Residence status, also known as obtaining a Green Card. Makwana was living in White Sulphur Springs and working at an area convenience store without legal authorization. As part of this scheme, Makwana married the U.S. citizen on September 3, 2021, falsified a residential lease agreement in White Sulphur Springs to make it appear that he and the U.S. citizen lived together, and added the U.S. citizen’s name to his utility bills and bank accounts. Makwana admitted that he committed aggravated identity theft when he included the name and signature of the residential property’s manager on the falsified lease agreement without the property manager’s authorization.
After learning that the marriage fraud scheme did not work, Makwana filed a Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Makwana admitted that he falsely claimed in the petition that he suffered domestic violence and emotional abuse at the hands of the U.S. citizen he married as part of the fraud scheme. Makwana further admitted that he filed the petition to continue to stay in the United States while his claims were considered and to increase his chances of obtaining a Green Card.
Makwana is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025, and faces a mandatory penalty of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Makwana is also subject to removal from the United States.
The U.S. citizen, Kalee Ann Huff, pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025, to marriage fraud and perjury. Huff, 28, now living in Fairbury, Illinois, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2025. Huff’s brother-in-law, Joseph Sanchez, pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025, to participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy. Sanchez, 33, of Fairbury, Illinois,is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30, 2025.
“This case reflects another unacceptable attempt to undermine our nation’s immigration laws, and the commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to enforce those laws to uphold public safety, national security, and the rule of law in our country,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-190.
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Parkersburg Man Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Frederick Sayre Anderson, 65, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution for concealing, harboring, and shielding an alien from detection.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about January 2011 until May 7, 2021, a foreign national of Madagascar worked and lived at Anderson’s Parkersburg business. As part of his guilty plea, Anderson admitted that the foreign national entered the United States on a 90-day fiancée K-1 nonimmigrant visa that he obtained. Anderson further admitted that he knew the visa required him to marry the foreign national within 90 days, that he never married her, and that he knew her presence in the United States became unlawful once her K-1 visa expired on April 8, 2011.
Anderson also admitted that the foreign national did not receive compensation for the work she performed at his business, a laboratory that provides water quality testing kits to state and local governments across the country. The foreign national slept in an office at the business that was converted into a bedroom. The business had no shower facilities. The foreign national showered at the home of Anderson’s business partner, John Robert Coe, or cleaned herself with baby wipes when Coe’s residence was unavailable.
The foreign national exhausted her life savings while working for Anderson without receiving income. Anderson encouraged the foreign national to obtain credit cards and advised her to lie about her income to obtain them. Anderson used the foreign national’s credit cards to pay business operating expenses and for travel, including a trip to the Cayman Islands that Anderson took with one of his friends.
Anderson admitted that he took steps to prevent government officials from finding the foreign national. Immigration agents visited Anderson’s business at least three times in May 2021. In advance of one of those visits, Anderson had the foreign national hide on the property. During the visit, Anderson falsely told the agents that the foreign national did not live at the business, that she had left months prior, and that he did not know where she was.
“In this strange and saddening case, the defendant harbored an illegal alien for a decade and took advantage of her at every opportunity,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Faithfully executing the immigration laws of the United States is critical to public safety, national security, and the rule of law, and this office is committed to the total and efficient enforcement of those laws.”
Coe, 66, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025, to continuing to employ a known illegal alien and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2025. As part of his plea agreement, Coe has paid $54,740 in restitution.
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police, and the Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-187.
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Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Possession of Stolen MoneyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Semiha Nilgun Gencsoy, 71, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty today to possession of stolen money. Gencsoy admitted that she fraudulently received $328,478.38 in West Virginia public employee pension benefits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gencsoy’s father was a professor of mechanical engineering at West Virginia University. When he retired in June 1985, he qualified for and began receiving West Virginia public employee pension benefits. Gencsoy’s father died in June 2007, and her mother began receiving survivor benefits from the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (WVCPRB) as his widow. The monthly payments were directly deposited into a join bank account that Gencsoy shared with her mother.
Gencsoy’s mother died in April 2008, and Gencsoy was appointed to administer her estate. As part of her guilty plea, Gencsoy admitted that she knew her father’s benefits expired upon the death of her mother, and that she had a duty to notify the WVCPRB of her mother’s death and to close their joint banking account. Gencsoy further admitted that she did neither.
From approximately May 2008 through June 2023, the joint bank account received more than 180 monthly survivor’s benefit pension payments totaling $328,478.38 through direct deposit. Gencsoy admitted that she routinely transferred the survivor benefit pension payments to a bank account she controlled solely after each direct deposit and used the money to pay for her personal expenses.
Gencsoy is scheduled to be sentenced on August 28, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Gencsoy also owes $328,478.38 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (WVCPRB) and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-75.
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Charleston Man Sentenced for Federal Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Luther A. Hanson, 72, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation, including eight months on home detention, and fined $5,000 for willful failure to pay over taxes. The Court previously determined that Hanson owed $146,771.37 to the United States Department of the Treasury as a result of his criminal scheme. Hanson paid the entire $146,771.37 prior to today’s sentencing.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least 2015 to September 2020, Hanson willfully and intentionally did not withhold or pay over approximately $149,905.38 in employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for two employees of his accounting services businesses. Hanson owns, manages, controls and operates The Estate Planning Group Inc. and L.A. Hanson Accounting Services, and the two employees provided accounting and account services for both.
Hanson admitted that some time prior to June 30, 2015, he and the two employees agreed that he would begin treating them as independent contractors. Hanson further admitted that he knew this arrangement would relieve him of paying the employer portion of the employment taxes to the IRA and of withholding the employee withholdings of the two employees.
As a result of this arrangement, Hanson paid gross wages by check to the two employees even though neither changed their job duties or responsibilities. Hanson admitted that he knew that neither was an independent contractor while he paid each by check throughout their continued employment. Hanson further admitted that he did not pay the trust fund taxes to the IRS that were owed and did not pay over the employer’s share of employment taxes for the two employees each quarter during the duration of this arrangement.
One of the employees paid a portion of the taxes owed, resulting in the adjusted figure of restitution owed by Hanson.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-119.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Gary Neal Abbott, 52, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substances containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Augst 9, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Abbott in Ashton, West Virginia. During the traffic stop, Abbott told the officer that he had a firearm in the vehicle and that there may be marijuana and “ice,” or methamphetamine, in the vehicle as well. The officer searched the vehicle and found approximately 8.7 ounces of methamphetamine in a black bag, small amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana in a separate container, and a Glock model 30 Gen4 .45-caliber pistol in the front seat.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-155.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jason Douglas MaComber, 52, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 12, 2023, MaComber possessed a Remington model 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge shotgun in St. Albans.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. MaComber knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession of dangerous drugs/controlled substances on November 20, 2007, possession of a firearm by a felon on June 24, 2014, and illegal firearm transportation on July 1, 2019, all in San Bernardino, California, Superior Court. MaComber’s long criminal history includes a total of 20 convictions.
The shotgun had a modified and shortened barrel. The short-barreled shotgun was not registered to MaComber in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-148.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Earl Cureton Jr., also known as “Black Rob,” 40, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 12, 2024, Cureton sold approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant while on the 2400 block of Collis Avenue in Huntington. Cureton admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand with the confidential informant.
Cureton further admitted to selling approximately 18.6 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $1,300 on November 9, 2023, and approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $380 on December 7, 2023, each time to a confidential informant in the area of the 2400 block of Collis Avenue.
On November 26, 2024, Cureton traveled by Greyhound bus from Michigan to Cincinnati, Ohio, and then by rideshare vehicle from Cincinnati to Huntington. Cureton admitted that he possessed a suitcase while traveling that contained approximately 5.08 kilograms of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the rideshare vehicle in which Cureton was a passenger in the 900 block of 7th Avenue in Huntington, and arrested Cureton on a warrant for the current offense. Officers seized the suitcase containing the methamphetamine and approximately $4,566 on Cureton’s person. Cureton admitted that the cash was proceeds from selling methamphetamine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-117.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Deona’tre Capri Dowell, 31, of Beckley, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Dowell admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 25, 2024, Dowell received an ounce of fentanyl from a co-conspirator at his Beckley residence. Dowell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it earlier that day. Dowell further admitted that he obtained additional quantities of fentanyl during May 2024 from his supplier on consignment, paying the supplier back with the proceeds from distributing it.
On May 30, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dowell’s residence and found approximately 535 grams of methamphetamine, 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, a Romarm Micro Draco 7.62mm firearm, and a Glock model 21 .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Dowell admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances and intending to distribute them.
Dowell is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Devin I. Cresce, 28, of Beckley, was sentenced today to seven years and eleven months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about July 13, 2023, Cresce sold approximately 53 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $500 while in a vehicle outside the Crossroads Mall in Mount Hope. Cresce admitted to the transaction. Cresce further admitted to selling approximately 80 grams of methamphetamine for $750 on July 18, 2023, approximately 24 grams of fentanyl for $1,800 on July 28, 2023, and approximately 62 grams of methamphetamine for $750 on August 8, 2023. Each distribution occurred at Cresce’s residence and involved the same confidential informant.
On August 10, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cresce’s residence and seized approximately 94.5 grams of fentanyl and 63 grams of methamphetamine. Cresce admitted that he intended to distribute these controlled substances in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.
Cresce has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for embezzlement, fraudulent schemes, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Central West Virginia Task Force.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-92.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Larry Joe Chapman, 44, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to a reported shoplifting at a MacCorkle Avenue business in South Charleston. The officers found that Chapman, the subject of the shoplifting call, had locked himself in the storage room of the business. Chapman unlocked the door for the officers, and officers found him in the storage room with a knife in his hand with the blade open. Officers disarmed and arrested Chapman, took him outside, and searched him. Officers found a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol and over $1,000 in merchandise belonging to the business on Chapman’s person. Officers later determined that the firearm was stolen.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Chapman knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for breaking and entering a building other than a dwelling on February 5, 2018, and conspiracy to operate and attempt to operate a clandestine drug laboratory for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine on November 8, 2013, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-125.
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Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Federal Civil Rights Crime in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Steven Nicholas Wimmer, 25, of Bluefield, was sentenced to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
With his guilty plea, Wimmer acknowledged that he responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officers, including Wimmer, then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Wimmer admitted that officers struck Q.B. in the interview room in order to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Wimmer further admitted that he was a member of the conspiracy who injured Q.B. inside the interview room while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed, and posed no threat.
Wimmer and former Southern Regional Jail corrections officer Andrew Fleshman pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2023, to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B. Fleshman, 22, of Shady Spring, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14. On Nov. 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, former correctional officers Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled for June 16. On Aug. 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Q.B.’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled for June 9.
On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. Lester is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-134.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Federal Civil Rights Crime in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Steven Nicholas Wimmer, 25, of Bluefield, was sentenced to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
With his guilty plea, Wimmer acknowledged that he responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officers, including Wimmer, then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Wimmer admitted that officers struck Q.B. in the interview room in order to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Wimmer further admitted that he was a member of the conspiracy who injured Q.B. inside the interview room while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed, and posed no threat.
Wimmer and former Southern Regional Jail corrections officer Andrew Fleshman pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2023, to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B. Fleshman, 22, of Shady Spring, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2025. On Nov. 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, former correctional officers Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled for June 16. On Aug. 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Q.B.’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled for June 9.
On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. Lester is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-134.
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Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert M. Harvey, 48, a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 29, 2022, Harvey was at Dismas Charities Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility in St. Albans, when facility staff found Harvey in possession of a cell phone. Harvey was not allowed to possess a cell phone without the approval of his probation officer, and any cell phone he possessed was subject to search and seizure.
Law enforcement analyzed Harvey’s cell phone and found it contained images and videos of child pornography. As part of his guilty plea, Harvey admitted that these images and videos include depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Harvey is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
At the time of this offense, Harvey was on supervised release as a result of his conviction for receipt of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 12, 2007. Harvey was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for that offense. On August 17, 2022, Harvey was sentenced to three years in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-69.
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Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ryan Keith Bailey, 47, of Beaver, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money. Bailey obtained $2,166,517.40 in loans through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for his business and instead converted nearly all of the proceeds for his personal use.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 20, 2020, Bailey applied for a $166,517.40 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan available under the CARES Act on behalf of his business, RKB Inc. Guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), PPP loans were a source of emergency financial assistance provided by the CARES Act to Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bailey certified that he would use the PPP loan proceeds only for permissible expenses, specifically to maintain payroll and cover lease, mortgage interest and utility costs. Bailey’s PPP loan application was approved and the $166,517.40 was deposited in the business checking account for RKB Inc. on May 1, 2020.
On November 30, 2020, Bailey certified that the PPP loan proceeds were used only on permissible expenses when he applied to have RKB Inc.’s loan forgiven. Loan forgiveness was allowed under the PPP program when proceeds went solely to eligible purposes. The SBA ultimately forgave $157,456.50 of the $166,517.40 PPP loan for RKB Inc.
As part of his guilty plea, Bailey admitted that his certifications were false and that only $6,517 of the PPP loan proceeds were spent for RKB Inc.’s legitimate business expenses. Between April 2020 and May 19, 2020, Bailey transferred $160,000 of the PP loan proceeds to his personal bank accounts and a personal brokerage account, using those proceeds for his personal benefit.
Bailey also admitted to relevant criminal conduct as part of his guilty plea. Bailey obtained an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for RKB Inc. from the SBA on January 6, 2021, and later successfully applied several times to increase its amount from $150,000 to the maximum allowable amount of $2,000,000. The CARES Act authorized the SBA to provide EIDL program loans of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bailey admitted that he transferred over $1,974,900 of the EIDL proceeds to his personal bank accounts, his personal brokerage account and a cryptocurrency exchange platform for his own personal benefit.
Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bailey also owes at least $2,219,163.97 in restitution, with a final amount to be determined by the Court.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case.
The United States filed a parallel civil action against Bailey and RKB Inc. and a civil complaint for forfeiture. The lawsuit seeks damages and civil penalties, alleging violations of the False Claims Act and Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act and unjust enrichment based upon Bailey’s receipt of the PPP and EIDL proceeds. The forfeiture action targets $1,348,249.81 in Bailey’s bank and brokerage accounts. Both cases are pending in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:24-cr-106 (criminal), 5:24-cv-456 (civil) and 5:23-cv-406 (forfeiture).
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Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide CrackdownRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is dedicated to combating child sexual exploitation and abuse with every available resource,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Operation Restore Justice underscores that resolve and reflects the unrelenting commitment of this office, the Department of Justice, and our law enforcement and community partners to protect children.”
“Each arrest in Operation Restore Justice is sending this powerful message: if you are seeking to prey on our children, we will find you and we will bring you to justice without exception,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The FBI and our local, state, and federal partners stand shoulder to shoulder to protect the most vulnerable members of our community. Protecting children is not negotiable.”
In the Southern District of West Virginia, a federal grand jury indicted Konnor Wolfe Lyons, 34, of Huntington, on April 29, 2025, on three felony counts alleging Lyons possessed, received or attempted to receive child pornography between September 24, 2023, and November 4, 2024. The FBI arrested Lyons in Huntington on April 30, 2025. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, Virginia, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, New York.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org. The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Other Online Resource
Electronic Press Kit
Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing Weapon at FCI McDowellRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Demetrius McKinney, 45, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 24, 2024, McKinney was involved in an altercation while an inmate at FCI McDowell. After the altercation, an FCI McDowell staff member conducted a search of McKinney and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in his right front pants pocket. The shank was a piece of metal about six and a half inches long, with one end sharpened to a point and a cloth handle on the other end.
McKinney is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-31.
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Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Daemien Thompson, 39, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thompson admitted to conspiring with other individuals to obtain methamphetamine and distribute it within the Southern District of West Virginia from on or about November 27, 2022, until on or about December 6, 2023.
On November 27, 2022, Thompson and a co-conspirator sold 446 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $2,600. Thompson admitted to the transaction and further admitted that his co-conspirators sold methamphetamine to the same confidential informant on other occasions, usually in quantities of 1 pound or more, at various locations including an Oak Hill trailer park. As part of his guilty plea, Thompson admitted to being involved in controlled buys of high-purity methamphetamine on December 5, 2022, December 14, 2022, and February 2, 2023, with a total amount of approximately 2.59 pounds of actual methamphetamine.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Thompson is among four individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy. All four pleaded guilty. Phillip Gray, 41, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty on April 17, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2025. Leondus Whittenburg, 43, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2025, to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3, 2025. John Gray, 39, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2024, to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Brian D. Parsons and former Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Andrew D. Isabell have prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-31.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Crime and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tyrece Ramone Phillips, 39, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and for violating supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 3, 2024, law enforcement officers intercepted a United States Postal Service package addressed to Phillips’ Charleston residence. Investigators obtained and executed a search warrant for the package, and found it continued approximately 538 grams of a substance containing fentanyl.
Investigators removed the fentanyl substance from the seized package and replaced it with a sham substance. Investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the package to Phillips’ residence on October 4, 2024. The package remained unopened on the front porch of the residence until Phillips arrived later that day. Phillips took the package inside his residence and immediately began to open the package. Investigators executed a search warrant at the residence and found Phillips with the sham substance from the package in his hands in an upstairs bathroom. Investigators also found a scale with residue in the residence during the search. Three teenage children, who also lived at the residence, were present in the house when Phillips was handling the package.
At the time of this offense, Phillips was serving a term of supervised release resulting from his conviction on March 20, 2019, for distribution of a quantity of acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl. Phillips was sentenced to two years in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release, to run concurrently with today’s sentence of 12 years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney J. Parker Bazzle II prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-177.
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Cabell County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Henry Rogers, 65 of Barboursville, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 17, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Rogers on U.S. Route 19 in the Birch River area of Nicholas County. As part of his guilty plea, Rogers admitted that he possessed a controlled substance containing methamphetamine seized by officers during the traffic stop. Rogers further admitted that officers executed a search warrant of his vehicle following that seizure and found an additional quantity of methamphetamine and a .380-caliber pistol in the trunk.
Rogers is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-80.
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Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeremiah Clinton Gray, 42, of Blue Ridge, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 22, 2024, law enforcement responded to reports of a man inside a Jackson County, Ohio, business with a firearm, body armor and a badge. The individual, later identified as Gray, left the business in a vehicle without a license plate and fled from an attempted traffic stop by law enforcement. The resulting pursuit led law enforcement into West Virginia, where the vehicle was stopped in Charleston with the assistance of spike strips. Gray was arrested and officers found a loaded Taurus model 1911 Officer 9mm pistol on his person and a loaded Mossberg model 590 Shockwave .410-gauge shotgun in the vehicle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Gray knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of cocaine in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on October 20, 2023.
Gray is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-35.
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Federal Jury Convicts Raleigh County Man of Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – After a one-day trial, a federal jury convicted Alfred Leslie Pittman, 36, of Harper Heights, on Monday, May 5, 2025, of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence at trial proved that on April 26, 2023, Pittman was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Beckley Police Department officers in Beckley. During the traffic stop, officers found that Pittman possessed a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol with an extended magazine in the vehicle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Pittman knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for robbery in the first degree in Raleigh County Circuit Court on June 2, 2015.
Pittman is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
“The defendant knew he had been convicted of a felony, robbery in the first degree, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. He is now being held accountable for his criminal conduct,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley Police Department for their investigative work in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Joshua Hanks and our trial team did an excellent job in this case and I commend them for securing the guilty verdict.”
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the jury trial.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-169.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Beecher Lee Shuler, 43, of Huntington, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 21, 2023, Shuler sold approximately 3.48 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $275. Shuler admitted that he conducted the transaction at his Huntington residence and arranged the transaction beforehand with the confidential informant.
On July 1, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Shuler’s residence and seized cocaine, oxycodone, at least 3,787 tablets containing protonitazene, six firearms and approximately $1,111. Protonitazene is a synthetic opioid potentially more dangerous and deadly than fentanyl, and the seized tablets weighed approximately 813 grams.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-151.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Devontay Brian Johnson, 29, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 3, 2022, Johnson sold approximately 20 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant while in a vehicle parked along Wilson Place in Huntington. During the transaction, Johnson held what appeared to be a semiautomatic rifle.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-24.
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