Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Benson Cline II, 49, of Cedar Grove and a convicted sex offender, pleaded guilty on Thursday, May 2, 2024, to possession of prepubescent child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between on or about July 24, 2023, to on or about November 6, 2023, Cline possessed 22 images and 134 videos of child sexual abuse material including digital media files depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his instant messaging app account that he accessed through his cell phone.

Cline is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Cline is a registered sex offender, as a result of his conviction for soliciting a minor via computer on February 24, 2011.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-42. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Alexis Nicole Davis, 26, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 21, 2023, Davis possessed 10 grams of fentanyl that was arranged to be sold at a Charleston gas station. When Davis arrived at the gas station, she recognized the would-be buyer was a confidential informant and the sale was not conducted. After Davis left the gas station, law enforcement officers stopped her and found the fentanyl in her purse. Davis admitted that she possessed the fentanyl and intended to distribute it to others.

Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department-Special Enforcement Unit.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon 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-72. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will hold a press conference with U.S. Trustee Program and law enforcement officials on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. to announce a guilty plea in a bankruptcy fraud case.

The press conference will be held at the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse in Charleston, and is slated to include officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Trustee Program and the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).

WHAT: Plea Hearing Press Conference

WHEN: Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Fourth Floor, Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston

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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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – John H. Wellford III, 73, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to falsification of bankruptcy records.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 29, 2019, Wellford filed for bankruptcy on behalf of Corotoman Inc., a real estate development company he owned and operated. As part of the bankruptcy, Corotoman’s Statement of Financial Affairs required Wellford to disclose all monetary transfers from Corotoman outside the ordinary course of business that had occurred in the two years prior to filing for bankruptcy. Wellford admitted that, despite this requirement, he did not disclose that he had transferred $925,326.43 from Corotoman on or around May 2, 2018 to another of Wellford’s businesses, Marsh Fork Development.

Approximately 10 months prior to the bankruptcy filing, Corotoman received a large influx of cash while it was struggling financially and while one of its creditors was actively trying to collect on an outstanding debt. Wellford deposited a $1,978,101.40 check from American Electric Power in Corotoman’s bank account on or around April 30, 2018. Wellford then transferred $925,326.43 of the funds to Marsh Fork Development on or around May 2, 2018. From that money, Wellford transferred $680,000 to his lawyer’s client trust account. Over the next five months, Wellford caused his lawyer to transfer the entire $680,000 back to various businesses that Wellford owned, primarily Marsh Fork Development.

Wellford admitted that all of these transactions were to ensure that he maintained possession and control over the money so that he could use the money for his businesses. Additionally, when Wellford attended a May 28, 2019 meeting of creditors, he testified that Corotoman had not made any payments to creditors outside the ordinary course of business in the year prior. When Wellford twice amended Corotoman’s bankruptcy filings to account for other undisclosed transactions that took place at the same time as the transfer, he failed to disclose the transfer.

Wellford is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Wellford also owes $925,326.43 in restitution.

“The defendant sought to abuse the bankruptcy process and conceal the transfer of these substantial funds because he wanted to keep that money and did not want it to be available to his company’s creditors,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.

Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU) and the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner-Special Investigations Division. 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.

“Financial crimes undermine our foundation of economic stability. The message here is clear: our economy is not a marketplace for manipulation, theft, or criminal activity,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “No one is above the law and the resolve to uphold it remains resolute for the FBI and our partners. Truth will always find its voice in the pursuit of justice.”

“Debtors’ responsibility to provide truthful, accurate, and complete information is essential to the proper function of the bankruptcy system,” said Acting United States Trustee Gerard Vetter of Region 4, which includes West Virginia. “This case demonstrates the dedication of the United States Trustee Program and the Justice Department to enforce the statutes imposing that responsibility and to ensure a fair process for debtors, creditors and other stakeholders. We thank U.S. Attorney Thompson and our law enforcement partners for their commitment to protecting the integrity of the bankruptcy system.”

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson 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-63. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Leon Eugene Smith Jr., 43, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 15, 2023, Smith sold a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant in the Lenark area of Raleigh County. Smith admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling controlled substances containing fentanyl to a confidential informant on three occasions between December 19, 2023, and January 3, 2024, all in the Lenark area.

On January 8, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence. Officers found fentanyl, marijuana, a pill bottle containing oxycodone, a pill bottle containing black tar heroin, three cell phones, a security system, $1,170 and scales, money counters, vacuum sealers, and other items of drug paraphernalia. Officers also found six long guns, two pistols, a 50-round drum magazine, a 30-round drum magazine, two 30-round rifle magazines and assorted ammunition. Smith admitted to possessing the firearms, magazines and ammunition and further admitted that the drug paraphernalia items were used in the distribution of fentanyl.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on August 23, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon 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-22. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Michael Dwayne Kelly II, 34, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 27, 2022, Kelly sold approximately 6.9 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $700 at Kelly’s residence in Beckley. Kelly admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling approximately 28 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant for $500 at his residence, on February 10, 2022.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Kelly’s residence on February 17, 2022, and seized 189 grams of fentanyl, 56 grams of cocaine, 27 grams of heroin, a Ruger LCP .380-caliber handgun, a Taurus model 22LR handgun, a Sig Sauer model 1911 .45-caliber handgun, a Glock model 42 .380-caliber handgun and $13,046. Kelly admitted that he intended to distribute the seized drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.

Kelly is scheduled to be sentenced on August 23, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Co-defendant Savannah Elizabeth Todd, 31, of Beckley, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and heroin on March 1, 2024.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons 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. 5:23-cr-163. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  John Christopher Spence, 67, of Huntington, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including six months on home detention with GPS monitoring, and fined $5,000 for making a false declaration in a bankruptcy case.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about April 30, 2019, Spence filed for bankruptcy as an individual and separately on behalf of Park Place Properties LLC, one of his businesses. In the days and weeks leading up to his filing for bankruptcy, Spence made extravagant purchases including the buying of airfare to Grand Cayman Islands, Aruba, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Spence admitted that he made these purchases knowing that he would be filing for bankruptcy and did so with the intent of defrauding creditors through the bankruptcy process.

Spence also admitted that he knew he was required to identify creditors and submit various schedules of assets and liabilities and a statement of financial affairs in each bankruptcy case. Each schedule and statement of financial affairs was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court under criminal penalty for false swearing, concealing property, and obtaining money or property by fraud. On May 30, 2019, Spence caused to be filed Schedule A/B, a disclosure document, and a statement of financial affairs in his individual bankruptcy case. Spence failed to disclose that he had legal or equitable interests in condominiums in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Scottsdale, Arizona; Avon, Colorado; Port Saint Lucie, Florida; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Spence admitted that he falsely stated on his Schedule A/B that he did not own or have any interest in condominiums. Spence further admitted that he lied about his legal or equitable interests in any condominiums during a meeting of creditors in his bankruptcy case on June 6, 2019.

At the time he filed for bankruptcy, Spence owned a 100 percent interest in J.C. Spence Company LLC. Spence admitted that failed to disclose in each bankruptcy case that he owned J.C. Spence Company LLC, that he held a 100 percent interest in this company, and that this company possessed substantial assets.

United States Attorney Will Thompson 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 Robert C. Chambers 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. 3:23-cr-184.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Xavier Sanders, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today to three years of probation after serving five months in jail, for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Sanders admitted to his role in a conspiracy to create and pass counterfeit United States currency in the Southern District of West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2022, Sanders and co-defendants Jamarcus Harris and Crystal Wilks traveled with another individual from North Carolina to West Virginia. Sanders admitted that they passed counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville.

Sanders and his co-conspirators rented a room that evening at a Summersville hotel, where they attempted to create new counterfeit United States currency. Sanders admitted that their counterfeiting process involved bleaching $1 bills, scanning a genuine $100 bill, and printing the scanned image on the bleached bills.

Harris, 33, and Wilks, 24, of Lenoir, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on October 13, 2023 to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Harris was sentenced on February 2, 2024, to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution. Wilks awaits sentencing.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon, Andrew D. Isabell and Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-54.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. United States Attorney Will Thompson encourages West Virginians to take advantage of this latest opportunity to dispose of old, unwanted and unneeded medications.

Take Back Day offers a free, safe and anonymous way to get rid of prescription drugs that are susceptible to diversion and abuse. Dozens of collection sites throughout West Virginia have already been announced. Information including a collection site locator is available at www.DEATakeBack.com.

“This may seem like a small, simple step to take, but safely disposing of prescription drugs can go a long way in preventing tragic outcomes,” Thompson said.

Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

The drug overdose epidemic in the United States is a clear and present public health, public safety, and national security threat. DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.

For more than a decade, the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—that too often become a gateway to addiction. Working in close partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 8,950 tons of medication from circulation since its inception

 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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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Derrell Cashawn Massey, also known as “Rell,” and “Fat Rell,” 34, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Massey admitted to a leading role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2023, Massey distributed approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Ninth Street residence in Huntington where Massey was living. The confidential informant had called Massey beforehand to arrange the transaction, agreeing to pay $2,000 in exchange for the methamphetamine.

Massey admitted to the transaction and further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least November 2022 through November 2023. Massey’s participation included arranging for quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to be transported from Detroit and other areas to Huntington for distribution. Massey also distributed at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine to a specific customer in Nitro, West Virginia, and directed other individuals to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to various customers. Massey admitted that he aided and abetted the distribution of a total of 8.6 pounds of methamphetamine on 10 separate occasions between February 27, 2023, and September 7, 2023.

Massey and other DTO participants used multiple residences to store and distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, including Massey’s Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington. On September 12, 2023, law enforcement officers seized six 9mm semiautomatic pistols at Massey’s Ninth Avenue residence.

Massey is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, 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.

Massey is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Massey is also among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting 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. 3:23-cr-180. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert Dewayne Miller, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, admitting to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller participated in the conspiracy from in or about October 2022 to in or about January 2023. Miller is responsible for over 2 and a half pounds of methamphetamine due to this involvement in the conspiracy. Miller distributed quantities of methamphetamine supplied by co-defendant Alexandria Jasmine Estep, who acquired pound-level quantities of methamphetamine from co-conspirator Jasper Wemh. Estep would check with Miller to see if the methamphetamine had been sold and Estep would collect the proceeds of such sales from Miller. Occasionally, Estep would receive methamphetamine back from Miller for the purpose of selling it.

Miller, Estep and Wemh are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has 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.

Estep, 22, of Charleston, was sentenced on February 22, 2024, to four years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Wemh, 39, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on March 30, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing. Miller, Estep and Wemh are among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are 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.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the 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.

Chief 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. 2:23-cr-33.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Frank W. Basenback, 37, of Huntington, was sentenced today to eight years and four 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 8, 2023, Basenback sold approximately 56 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on the 3300 block of Harvey Road in Huntington in exchange for $1,000. Basenback admitted to the transaction and further admitted that he had agreed beforehand to sell heroin to the confidential informant.

Basenback also admitted to selling a total of approximately 243 grams of fentanyl to confidential informants at the same location for a total of $4,000 during separate occasions on August 23, 2023, and September 4, 2023.

On September 14, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant a Basenback’s Haynie Road residence. Officers found approximately $42,892 in the residence and approximately 2 kilograms of fentanyl in a truck parked outside. Officers also found $711 on Basenback’s person. Basenback admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the seized fentanyl, and further admitted that the seized cash and $14,608.69 in his bank account were drug proceeds from selling fentanyl.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney 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. 3:23-cr-155.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – David Dwayne Moore, also known as “B,” 47, of Huntington,  pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 4, 2024, law enforcement officers searched Moore’s Huntington apartment and seized approximately 32 grams of crack, 132 grams of fentanyl, and a Taurus model G3 9mm pistol. Moore admitted that he intended to sell the seized controlled substances. Moore further admitted that he possessed the seized firearm.

Moore is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.

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-19. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson presented the 2024 Excellence in Victim Advocacy and Justice Awards today during the Opening Ceremony for the 23rd Annual Operation Reach Out at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse.

Operation Reach Out recognizes crime victims and those who serve them, and is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and the Operation Reach Out Committee.

The 2024 Excellence in Victim Advocacy and Justice Awards honorees are:

• The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, for its Remote Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Outreach Project. This initiative allows victims in a growing number of counties to file petitions and participate in court hearings remotely, without having to be in the same building as the people from whom they are seeking protection. The entire Supreme Court - Chief Justice Tim Armstead, Justice Elizabeth D. Walker, Justice John A. Hutchison, Justice William R. Wooton and Justice C. Haley Bunn - and project officials attended today’s ceremony to accept the award.
• The Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Lt. S.A. Sommers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, Elizabeth Street of the West Virginia Department of Human Services, Child Protect of Mercer County, and Guardian Ad Litem Michael Magaan for their roles in the successful prosecution of Eric Shawn Phillips, 43, of Princeton. Phillips was sentenced on November 13, 2023, to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,200 in restitution for enticement of a minor.
• Special Agent Brian Morris of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for his role in the successful prosecution of Larry Allen Clay Jr., 58, and Kristen Naylor-Legg, 30, of Gauley Bridge. Naylor Legg was sentenced on August 31, 2023, to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 18. Naylor-Legg provided her 17-year-old female relative to Clay so he could engage in sexual intercourse with the minor. At the time, Clay was an employee of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the Chief of Police for the Gauley Bridge Police Department. A federal jury convicted Clay on April 28, 2023, of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor via coercion, sex trafficking of a minor via coercion, and two counts of obstruction of justice. Clay awaits sentencing.
• Mission West Virginia for promoting positive futures by working to ensure every child has a loving family and the knowledge to make positive choices for a healthier future. Mission West Virginia has been a longtime partner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia as it recruits and trains foster families and provide support and services to relatives or kinship families caring for youth.
• YWCA Charleston for its continuing commitment to communities throughout Kanawha, Clay and Boone counties. YWCA Charleston provides crucial services to domestic violence and trafficking victims, such as emergency and transitional housing, counseling and court advocacy. YWCA Charleston is also a longstanding and valued partner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

The ceremony also featured a special Tree of Remembrance, upon which victims and survivors placed signed cards in memory of a loved one or for themselves as a survivor.

“As you look at the tree, we don’t just see pieces of paper. The toughest part of my job and my career, over the last 27 years, has been some of the photographs and videos that I’ve had to see,” said Thompson, a former Boone County Circuit Court judge. “Some of those, I don’t have to carry around in my wallet or anything of that nature. They are forever burned in my brain.”

Operation Reach Out aims to raise awareness of victims’ rights, educate the public about the various organizations that provide services to crime victims, and promote crime prevention and safety.

Operation Reach Out is held in coordination with National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW), which is being commemorated this year on April 21-27. The 2024 NCVRW theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.”

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/national-crime-victims-rights-week/overview.

 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.

Video of the ceremony is available on the office's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNnPK9Bc00U

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gary Allen Swift Jr., 62, pleaded guilty today to failure to provide information related to interstate travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about July 1, 2023 through on or about February 6, 2024, Swift failed to register or update his registration as required by SORNA after he relocated to West Virginia from Iowa.

Swift is required to register as a sex offender and comply with SORNA because of his convictions for first-degree sexual abuse in Nicholas County, West Virginia, Circuit Court on March 18, 1986, and criminal sexual assault in Rock Island, Illinois, Circuit Court on November 20, 2006.

Swift is scheduled to be sentenced on August 1, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-27. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Lamar Tyrell Coles, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 23, 2022, a law enforcement officer arrested Coles on an outstanding warrant. Coles advised the officer that he had a firearm in his pocket. The officer recovered a loaded SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistol from Coles’ right sweatpants pocket which was zipped closed, concealing the firearm.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Coles knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for felonious assault on March 31, 2017, burglary on March 17, 2014, and illegal possession of firearm in open air arena on December 12, 2011, all in Columbiana County, Ohio.

Coles is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Francesca C. Rollo is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-96. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Thomas Jason Drake, 48, of Gassaway, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Drake, a lawyer, admitted that he possessed and pawned a Taurus Model G3C 9mm handgun on December 20, 2021, a Winchester Model Grand European XTR .257-caliber rifle on November 22, 2021, and a Colt Model Single Action .45-caliber revolver on December 7, 2021, at Charleston businesses.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Drake knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for embezzlement in Kanawha County Circuit Court on September 13, 2012.

Drake is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman, Gabriel Price and Nowles Heinrich are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-64. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mariah Diane Keffer, 26, of Beckley, was sentenced today to one year 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 December 12, 2022, Keffer sold approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Robert C. Byrd Drive residence in Beckley. Keffer admitted to this transaction and further admitted to selling a total of approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant for a total of $900 during separate transactions on December 22, 2022, and January 9, 2023.

On January 10, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Keffer’s residence. Officers seized 71.5 grams of methamphetamine, 20.5 grams of fentanyl and various amounts of marijuana, oxycodone pills, alprazolam pills, suboxone, diazepam pills and psilocybin mushrooms. Officers also seized a Taurus model G2c 9mm pistol, a Ruger LCP .380-caliber pistol, and $2,011. Keffer admitted that she intended to distribute the seized drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk 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. 5:23-cr-116.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Anthony Darnell Deberry, 39, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2023, Deberry sold a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant at Deberry’s residence in Beckley. Deberry admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling fentanyl to the confidential informant on four other occasions within Raleigh County.

On July 5, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Deberry’s residence and found two 9mm handguns, 9mm ammunition, $2,000 and approximately 76.5 grams of fentanyl. Deberry admitted that he intended to distribute the fentanyl found during the search.

Deberry is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-28. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Derrick Lee Hodge, 35, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 1, 2023, Hodge sold a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Beckley hotel where Hodge was staying. Hodge admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling controlled substances containing fentanyl to a confidential informant on January 26 and January 31, 2023, in Beckley.

On February 2, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hodge’s Beckley hotel room. Officers seized a small bag containing cocaine, a set of digital scales with purple residue, plastic bags $347 and a Ruger Model EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun during the search. Hodge admitted that he was distributing drugs out of the hotel room and possessed the seized firearm.

Hodge is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell 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. 5:23-cr-139. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will preside over the Opening Ceremony for the 23rd Annual Operation Reach Out and present this year’s Excellence in Victim Advocacy and Justice Awards on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston.

Honorees include the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals for its Remote Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Outreach Project. This initiative allows victims in a growing number of counties to file petitions and participate in court hearings remotely, without having to be in the same building as the people from whom they are seeking protection. Law enforcement officers, local and state government officials, and nonprofit service organizations are also among the honorees.

This annual event is held to raise awareness of victims’ rights, educate the public about the various organizations that provide services to crime victims, and promote crime prevention and safety.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and the Operation Reach Out Committee sponsor this ceremony in coordination with National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW), which is being commemorated this year on April 21-27. The 2024 NCVRW theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.”

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/national-crime-victims-rights-week/overview.

WHAT: 23rd Annual Operation Reach Out Opening Ceremony

WHEN: Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Fifth Floor, Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston

 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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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Danielle D. Jones, 35, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 16, 2023, Jones sold quantities of crack and what she thought was heroin for $800 to a confidential informant at her Huntington residence. Jones admitted to the transaction, and to arranging it with the informant beforehand. Jones further admitted to selling a quantity of what she thought was heroin to the confidential informant on three other occasions between August 22, 2023, and December 27, 2023, at her residence. Jones also sold the confidential informant a quantity of crack during the December 27, 2023, transaction.

A forensic analysis later confirmed that the suspected heroin sold in all four transactions was fentanyl totaling approximately 27 grams.

Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

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-2. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jashawn William Lawson, also known as “Nitty,” 23, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Lawson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Lawson and searched his Highlawn Avenue residence in Huntington. Lawson admitted that he and other individuals used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Tec PMR-30 .22-caliber pistol and various rounds of ammunition. Lawson admitted that he and other individuals possessed the firearms and intended to sell the controlled substances seized during the search.

Lawson further admitted that he participated in the DTO with others from at least April 2023 through November 2023. Lawson’s participation included selling a total of approximately 808.6 grams of methamphetamine on three occasions between April 13, 2023 and July 13, 2023. Lawson also sold approximately 2.9 grams of fentanyl during the July 13, 2023 transaction.

On August 28, 2023, Lawson was a passenger in a vehicle driven by co-defendant Christopher Anthony O'Dell when a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in St. Albans. During the traffic stop, the officer located and seized approximately 51 grams of fentanyl in the vehicle and $4,910 on Lawson’s person. Lawson admitted that he received the seized money from selling methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Lawson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of  five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.

O'Dell, 39, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2024 to distribution of quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and awaits sentencing.

Lawson and O'Dell are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Lawson and O'Dell are also among 20 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting 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. 3:23-cr-180. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Charles Clinton Cordle, 65, of Ashland, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and Josie Irene Copley, 58, of Flatwoods, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl. Both admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 23, 2023, Cordle received approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine and 9 grams of fentanyl in the area of the 2700 block of Highlawn Avenue in Huntington after arranging to receive the controlled substances during a phone call with another person. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Cordle following the transaction, and the officer located and seized the methamphetamine and fentanyl during the traffic stop. Cordle admitted that he intended to distribute the controlled substances.

On October 25, 2023, Copley purchased approximately 13.98 grams of fentanyl in Huntington from co-defendant Kyla Smith after calling Smith and arranging the transaction. After Copley purchased the fentanyl, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Copley was a passenger. Copley told the officer she had drugs in her possession and surrendered the fentanyl she had obtained from Smith. Copley admitted that the officer also seized approximately 2.11 grams of methamphetamine during the traffic stop that she possessed and intended to sell.

On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Copley’s residence in Flatwoods, Kentucky. Officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and a New England Firearms .410-gauge shotgun.

Cordle and Copley are scheduled to be sentenced on August 19, 2024. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Smith, also known as “Flaca,” 29, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on April 3, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing.

Cordle, Copley and Smith are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Cordle, Copley and Smith are also among 19 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting 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. 3:23-cr-180. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Eric Malik Smith, also known as “Star,” 24, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting false statements related to the purchase of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 1, 2022, Smith traveled with another person to a Barboursville, West Virginia, business where Smith instructed the person to purchase a Glock 27 .40-caliber pistol on Smith’s behalf. Smith admitted that the person falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that he was the purchaser of the firearm when he knew Smith was the actual buyer of the firearm. Smith further admitted that he took possession of the firearm following the purchase and eventually took it back with him to Maryland.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19. 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Owen Reynolds is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-156. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jason Todd Weaver, 50, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to 5 years federal probation and ordered to pay $2,896.78 in restitution for embezzlement of funds by an officer of a labor organization.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 29, 2021, Weaver used his position as secretary/treasurer of the American Postal Workers Union, Local 1509 to write out a check for $352.62 to himself. The check was written from Local 1509’s Beckley bank account. Weaver signed his name as an authorized account signatory and forged the name of another union officer who was also an authorized account signatory.

Weaver admitted that he knew he was not entitled to the money, and that he deposited the check into his personal bank account. Weaver further admitted that he used his position with Local 1509 to embezzle a total of $12,396.78 union funds, including issuing 17 union checks to himself and misusing the union’s credit card 59 times, from at least April 25, 2016, through November 13, 2021. Weaver repaid $9,500 of that total before pleading guilty to the embezzlement offense.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS).

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. 5:23-cr-130.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Perry Johnson Jr., 30, of Dunwoody, Georgia, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson participated in the DTO by directing large quantities of methamphetamine into the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution to local dealers and customers. On or about November 28, 2022, Johnson conducted phone calls with co-conspirator Alexandria Jasmine Estep during which he arranged to sell multiple pounds of methamphetamine to her. Johnson arranged for the methamphetamine to be delivered by third parties, including co-defendant Dashounieque Lashay Wright, in a vehicle to Estep’s Charleston residence the following day.  After Estep received the methamphetamine from Wright, officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle that had delivered the methamphetamine.  Upon conducting a search of that vehicle, officers discovered and seized approximately six pounds of methamphetamine.  

Johnson has a criminal history that includes seven prior convictions for controlled substances offenses in Virginia and Kentucky.

Estep, 22, of Charleston, was sentenced on February 22, 2023, to four years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Wright, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on January 8, 2024, to use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking and awaits sentencing.

Johnson, Estep and Wright are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has 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.

Johnson, Estep and Wright are also among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are 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.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the 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.

Chief 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. 2:23-cr-31.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Elliot J. Santiago, 25, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty on Monday, April 1, 2024 to failure to provide information related to interstate travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents and statements made in court, Santiago was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction for first-degree sexual abuse in Monongalia County Circuit Court on August 28, 2019. From on or about May 30, 2023 to on or about October 25, 2023, Santiago failed to provide notification that he had traveled from Charleston, West Virginia, to Toledo, Ohio and then to Brooklyn, New York.

Santiago is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-174. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Reginald Clay Jackson, 43, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 3, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Jackson after conducting a traffic stop of a scooter he was operating in St. Albans. The scooter was reported stolen and Jackson could not produce a valid license, insurance, or registration. Jackson was taken to the South Charleston Detachment of the West Virginia State Police and processed. The following day, officers found a plastic bag under a bench in the booking area. The bag contained seven individually wrapped baggies that each contained approximately 1 ounce of fentanyl. Security video footage showed Jackson removing the bag from his clothing and throwing it under the bench during his processing.

Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of West Virginia State Police and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum 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-33. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Jason Trador, 46, of Scott Depot, on April 10, 2024, of making a false statement to federal agents, willfully overvaluing property on a loan application, and three counts of making a false statement to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Evidence at trial proved that Trador fraudulently obtained a $223,870 home mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) from his then-employer, Victorian Finance LLC, a mortgage lending business. At the time he applied for the FHA loan in August 2018, Trador was delinquent on paying his federal taxes for a prior tax year. Because of the tax debt, Trador was not eligible for an FHA loan under existing FHA program rules. Trador deceived Victorian Finance into approving the application and the FHA into insuring the mortgage by providing a series of falsified documents including a falsified Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax transcript purporting to show a payoff of the delinquent $8,151 tax debt.

Trador also submitted three heavily edited bank statements to Victorian Finance. Each falsified bank statement substantially inflated the balances in Trador’s bank accounts. Two of the falsified statements reported balances of approximately $27,000 and $15,000 for Trador’s personal bank account when in fact the account had negative balances. Line items, such as for insufficient funds fees, were removed from the falsified bank statements and a line item was added to deceive Victorian Finance into believing that he had paid off the delinquent $8,151 tax debt. Evidence at trial proved the purported payoff never occurred and that Trador was still delinquent on the federal tax debt as of March 2024.

On September 4, 2018, Trador willfully overvalued his assets on a loan application when he signed a Uniform Residential Loan Application that included the false balances from the falsified bank statements.

On May 6, 2022, Trador lied to investigators with HUD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) when they interviewed Trador at his Scott Depot residence about his application for the FHA-insured mortgage. Trador denied submitting false bank statements with his loan application, and blamed his fellow employees of the mortgage lending business for the inclusion of the false bank statements in the FHA loan file.

Trador is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 41 years in prison.

“Loan officers are supposed to be gatekeepers who protect the integrity of the FHA program. Mr. Trador abused his position of trust as a loan officer and used his knowledge of FHA requirements to obtain a mortgage he knew he did not qualify for, and then lied in an attempt to conceal his scheme,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend HUD OIG and the FBI for their investigative work in this case, and Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman, Jonathan T. Storage and Erik S. Goes and our trial team for prosecuting the case and securing guilty verdicts on all five counts.”

“The integrity of the FHA loan program is essential to helping hard working citizens realize the American dream of homeownership,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.  “This case demonstrates HUD OIG’s enduring commitment to working with U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and the FBI to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to jeopardize this program and the health and stability of the nation’s housing market.  I’d like to sincerely thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the entire investigative team, led by U.S. Attorney Thompson, for its tireless efforts to bring this matter to a just conclusion.”

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the jury trial.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-117.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  Three more defendants pleaded guilty today to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.

Hakeem Rashad Mack, also known as “Paper,” 31, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Georgia Alice Jackson, 31, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Walter Alvin Cremeans, 56, of Culloden, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 28, 2023, Mack distributed approximately 283 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at Mack’s Eighth Avenue residence in Huntington. Mack admitted to arranging the transaction beforehand with the informant via a video call with the FaceTime mobile device app. Mack further admitted to distributing a total of approximately 306 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on May 10, 2023 and June 5, 2023.

On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Mack and executed a search warrant at his residence. Officers seized approximately 165 grams of methamphetamine, 108 grams of fentanyl and a Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver during the search. Mack admitted that he possessed the firearm and intended to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Officers also arrested Jackson and executed a search warrant at her Wiltshire Boulevard residence in Huntington on November 15, 2023. Officers seized approximately 380 grams of fentanyl, a Phoenix Arms HP22A .22-caliber pistol, a Sun City Stevens 320 12-gauge shotgun and various rounds of ammunition. Jackson admitted to possessing the seized fentanyl and intending to distribute it. Jackson further admitted to distributing a total of 1.35 kilograms of methamphetamine on four occasions between February 15, 2023, and August 24, 2023.

Jackson also admitted to participating in the DTO from at least February 2023 through November 2023, distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl on numerous occasions and using her residence to store and distribute drugs.

On October 28, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Cremeans on the 4200 block of Ohio River Road in Huntington. Cremeans admitted that he placed approximately 97 grams of methamphetamine in a cup that was thrown from his vehicle during the traffic stop. The officer located and seized the methamphetamine on the ground outside of Cremeans’ vehicle. Cremeans further admitted that investigators had observed him acquiring the seized methamphetamine just before the traffic stop,  and that he had arranged to receive the methamphetamine during multiple phone calls that were intercepted by investigators.

Mack, Jackson and Cremeans are scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2024. Mack 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. Jackson faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. Cremeans faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Mack, Jackson and Cremeans are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Mack, Jackson and Cremeans are also among 17 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting 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. 3:23-cr-180. 

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Lansen Sharif Waugh, 44, of Kyle, pleaded guilty today to distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 15, 2021, Waugh sold controlled substances that contained cocaine and methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a residence in Kyle where Waugh was staying. Waugh admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling cocaine and a controlled substance containing heroin and fentanyl to the confidential informant on two other occasions.

On July 2, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Waugh’s residence in Kyle, and found two firearms and additional quantities of cocaine. Waugh admitted that he intended to distribute the cocaine found during the search.

Waugh is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons 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. 1:23-cr-121. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, David K. Smith, 69, of Paducah, Kentucky, was sentenced to one year and six months of federal probation, including six months on home detention, and River Marine Enterprises LLC and Western River Assets LLC were each fined $100,000 and placed on corporate probation for five years for discharge of refuse into navigable waters. The defendants were also ordered to pay $1,856,957.92 in restitution, and the LLC defendants cannot conduct or operate any business while on probation. The defendants admitted to roles in the January 2018 discharge of oil into the Big Sandy River.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith was the sole owner and officer of both River Marine Enterprises and Western River Assets, and was responsible for the operation of both companies. Western River Assets owned a towboat, the Gate City, that docked along the West Virginia shore of the Big Sandy River from at least 2010 until January 2018. River Marine Enterprises operated the Gate City during this time.

On or about January 10, 2018, the Gate City sank while docked, discharging oil and other substances into the Big Sandy River. The oil left a sheen on the river and oily deposits beneath the surface. As a direct result of the Gate City’s sinking and oil spill, the City of Kenova, West Virginia, closed its municipal drinking water intake for three days and various regulatory agencies took actions and expended resources to respond to the spill.

Smith admitted that at the time of the January 2018 sinking and spill, he had yet to comply with an administrative order issued by the United States Coast Guard on December 5, 2017, requiring Smith to remove all oil and hazardous materials from the Gate City. The Coast Guard issued the administrative order following an inspection of the Gate City in or about November 2017. The administrative order said in part that the Gate City presented an “imminent and substantial threat to the public health or welfare of the environment because of a threatened discharge of oil from the vessel.”

Smith further admitted that River Marine Enterprises had contracted with a qualified business to remove oil from the Gate City, but that the contractor was not able to access the Gate City safely to remove the oil prior to January 10, 2018 because of site conditions.

“This crime could have easily been prevented. Instead, Mr. Smith left an unseaworthy vessel moored in the Big Sandy for eight years and took no action to remove the hazard it posed to the water quality of the river,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This criminal conduct caused real harm to communities downriver and worsened the pollution of an already strained river system. It also cost the Coast Guard over $1.8 million to remediate the damage caused by the sinking of the vessel and the resulting discharge of oil.”

Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA CID). Thompson also commended the U.S. Coast Guard, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the West Virginia National Guard and other responders for their efforts to contain and clean up the oil spill.

“By failing to maintain the condition of his towboat, the defendant blatantly ignored the environmental impact his actions would cause,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Amon of EPA’s criminal investigation program in West Virginia. “This sentencing demonstrates that EPA will hold those who deliberately violate the Refuse Act accountable.”

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry McDaniel prosecuted the case.

On May 5, 2022, the Department launched the Office of Environmental Justice and announced a comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy. Enforcement of this strategy relies upon meaningful engagement and transparency with impacted communities regarding environmental justice issues, efforts, and results.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia enforces federal laws to protect environmental quality and human health in all communities within the district. In coordination with components of the Justice Department, the United States Attorney’s Office will hold polluters accountable for their actions, prioritizing cases that will reduce public health and environmental harms to overburdened and underserved communities. More information is available on the Environmental Justice and Enforcement page of the website for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

The United States Attorney’s Office encourages the public to report suspected environmental violations within the district. Reports may be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency or by email, mail, or phone to the United States Attorney’s Office.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-5.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Lydia Spencer, 33, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty on Friday, April 5, 2023, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Spencer admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $31,250 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

According to court documents and statements made in court, Spencer was the sole proprietor of Les Prints, a custom clothing business that had its principal office in Charleston. Spencer admitted to conspiring with at least three other individuals in April 2021 to obtain fraudulent PPP loans for her business. The PPP offered forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, as part of the emergency financial assistance provided by the CARES Act to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the co-conspirators recruited Spencer to participate in the scheme that spring, and Spencer provided her personal and bank account information to this individual. On April 8, 2021, another of the co-conspirators used Spencer’s information to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of Les Prints to two different lenders. Each lender approved a PPP loan for Les Prints. Spencer received a $15,625 transfer disbursed by one of the lenders on April 30, 2021, and a $15,625 transfer disbursed by the other lender on June 17, 2021. Both transfers were deposited in Spencer’s personal bank account with an Oklahoma-based bank.

Spencer admitted that the PPP loan applications contained materially false information. Businesses applying for PPP loans were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Spencer admitted that the loan applications falsely stated that Les Prints had received $75,000 in gross income in 2020, and included a fraudulent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business reporting that false gross income. Spencer further admitted that this false information qualified Les Prints for a loan amount it otherwise would have not been qualified to receive.

Between May 3, 2021, and June 21, 2021, Spencer used a mobile payment service app to transfer a total of $4,000 from the fraudulent loan proceeds to one of the co-conspirators. Spencer admitted that she attempted to obscure the nature of these transfers by labeling them as marketing expenses for her business. Spencer further admitted that she spent the remainder of the fraudulent loan proceeds on personal expenses. Spencer also admitted that she was aware that her co-conspirators had obtained additional fraudulent PPP loans in the names of other individuals.

Spencer is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Spencer also owes at least $31,250 in restitution.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson is prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-53. 

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – William Williams, 24, 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 December 12, 2022, an FCI McDowell staff member conducted a random pat-down search of Williams and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in his left front pants pocket. The shank was a piece of metal approximately five inches long with a sharpened point on one end and a cloth handle. Williams admitted to possessing the shank, and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons 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. 1:24-cr-52. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Kyla Smith, also known as “Flaca,” 29, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Smith admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 29, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Smith on Eighth Avenue in Huntington. Smith admitted that the officer saw her conceal a bag of methamphetamine in the front of her pants during the traffic stop. Smith surrendered the methamphetamine to the officer, and admitted that she intended to distribute the controlled substance. Smith further admitted that she participated in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023. Smith distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl to various customers, including some who redistributed the controlled substances that she provided to them.

Smith and other DTO participants used multiple residences to store and distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, including a Davis Street residence in Huntington maintained by Smith. On November 15, 2023, officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s Davis Street residence and seized approximately 477 grams of fentanyl.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, 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.

Smith is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Smith is also among 14 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting 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. 3:23-cr-180. 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Willie Charles Sanders, also known as “Disco,” 51, of Charleston, pleaded guilty yesterday, April 2, 2024, to distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 23, 2022, Sanders sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at Sanders’ Charleston residence.

Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Charleston Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-164.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Thomas Donnell Shaw, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced yesterday, April 1, 2024, to five years in prison to run consecutively to his current state sentence, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2021, Shaw was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by a law enforcement officer. The traffic stop resulted in a search of the vehicle, and officers found a FNH model FNS-40 .40-caliber pistol and a quantity of methamphetamine. Shaw admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent of distributing it within the Southern District of West Virginia. Shaw further admitted that he possessed the firearm in part to protect himself, the drugs and his drug proceeds.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum, Owen Reynolds and Ryan A. Keefe 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. 3:23-cr-194.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Gary Diaz, also known as “Poppy,” 66, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and Thomas Shane Holland, 54, of Salt Rock, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Diaz and Holland each admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Diaz’s residence in Nitro and seized multiple bags of methamphetamine and a loaded Diamondback DB 9mm pistol. A forensic analysis later confirmed that the seized methamphetamine included 6.32 grams that was 100 percent purity, 55.76 grams that was 91 percent purity and 871.7 grams that was 75 percent pure. Diaz admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and the firearm and further admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine.

Diaz participated in the DTO from approximately November 2022 through November 2023.  Diaz admitted that he received a total of at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine for distribution during this period. Diaz commonly obtained the methamphetamine on consignment, paying for it after it was distributed. Diaz admitted that he received at least 1 pound and as much as 2 pounds at a time during the final six months of his participation in the conspiracy.

Holland admitted to buying approximately 16 grams of methamphetamine from co-defendant Derrell Cashawn Massey outside a Huntington gas station on October 18, 2023. Holland further admitted to arranging the transaction with Massey beforehand by phone. Following the transaction, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Holland was a passenger. Officers found the methamphetamine in a container beside Holland in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Holland admitted that he intended to distribute the 16 grams of methamphetamine.

Diaz is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2024, 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.

Holland is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Diaz and Holland are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Diaz and Holland are among 13 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against Massey and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting 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. 3:23-cr-180. 

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Laura Leigh Jones, 32, of Huntington, was sentenced today to two years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 5 2023, Jones sold approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Richmond Street residence. Jones admitted to arranging the transaction beforehand. Jones further admitted to selling quantities of methamphetamine to the informant on two other occasions in May 2023.

On May 11, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence and seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Tauris PT22 .22-caliber pistol, and .22-caliber ammunition. Jones admitted to the officers that she had been involved in the distribution of drugs within the Southern District of West Virginia and possessed the seized firearm for protection following the theft of fentanyl from her.

United States Attorney Will Thompson 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 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. 3:23-cr-82.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tykeith Diemell Martin, 22, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 14, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington residence where Martin was staying. Officers found approximately 37 grams of heroin, an SCCY 9mm pistol and 9mm ammunition. Martin admitted that he possessed the heroin and firearm and that he intended to distribute the heroin.

Martin is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the 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 Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-150. 

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Harland Lee Todd, 34, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 2, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Todd’s residence and seized 163 grams of cocaine, a Glock Model 30 .45-caliber pistol, a Mossberg model 702 .22-caliber rifle, a Remington model 870 12-gauge shotgun, 16 ammunition magazines, 634 rounds of ammunition and $2,468. Todd admitted that he possessed the cocaine and intended to distribute it, in addition to the 111 grams of cocaine that he had sold on five separate occasions.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of  the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Central West Virginia Task Force.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney 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. 5:23-cr-124.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Quantel O. Saunders, 29, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years and ten months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 19, 2022, law enforcement officers observed Saunders with a firearm tucked in the front of his waistband outside a service station on the 200 block of North Eisenhower Drive in Beckley. Officers stopped Saunders as he was entering his vehicle and recovered a Ruger-57 5.7x28mm handgun from the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle. Saunders admitted to the officers that he possessed the firearm.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Saunders knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession of a firearm by a prohibited carrier and three counts of wanton endangerment with a firearm in Raleigh County Circuit Court on August 3, 2015.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Parsons prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-108.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jonathan Webb, 27, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, 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 June 26, 2023, an FCI Beckley staff member conducted a pat-down search of Webb and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in his right front pants pocket. The shank was a piece of metal approximately six inches long with a sharpened point on one end and a cloth handle. Webb admitted to possessing the shank, and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

Webb is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-45. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jason Michael Tucker, 43, of Frankford, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 30, 2022, Tucker sold a Ruger model Wrangler .22LR caliber revolver to a confidential informant for $125 in the Frankford area of Greenbrier County. Tucker admitted to the transaction, and further admitted to selling a quantity of heroin to the confidential informant at the same location a few hours before the transaction.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Tucker knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in Monroe County Circuit Court on August 30, 2018, and for delivery of a controlled substance-marijuana in Greenbrier County Circuit Court on April 22, 2005.

Tucker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force is composed of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lewisburg Police Department.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell 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-17. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Algie Kenya Scales, 50, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 23, 2023, Scales sold approximately 2.7 grams of fentanyl in Beckley for $300. Scales admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling approximately 5 grams of fentanyl for $625 on March 2, 2023, and to selling approximately 4.7 grams of fentanyl for $600 on March 8, 2023. Both of these additional transactions occurred at a predetermined location in Beckley.

Scales is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon 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. 5:23-cr-167. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ashley Nicole Luster, 28, of Sophia, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Luster sold approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Beckley apartment complex while aided and abetted by co-defendant Angelo Johnson. Luster admitted that she handed the controlled substances over after Johnson took the money.

Luster is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Johnson, 28, of Beckley, was sentenced on December 8, 2023 to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell 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. 5:23-cr-13. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men from Detroit, Michigan, and a Nitro, West Virginia, man pleaded guilty yesterday to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.

Vernard Antonio Brown, also known as “Bam,” 32, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Paul Anthony Rucker, 46, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Trevon Eaarle Godfrey, also known as “Trey,” 27, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to use of a communications facility in committing, causing, and facilitating a felony controlled substance offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Brown and searched his Huntington residence. Brown admitted that he and others used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Teck .22-caliber pistol, and various rounds of ammunition during the search. Brown admitted that he and other individuals possessed the firearms and intended to sell the controlled substances in exchange for money.

Brown further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023. As part of that participation, Brown admitted to roles in multiple drug transactions within the Southern District of West Virginia. On May 17, 2023, Brown and a co-defendant distributed approximately 446 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On July 13, 2023, Brown arranged for another individual to distribute approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant. On August 15, 2023, Brown distributed approximately 27.7 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant

Officers also arrested Rucker on November 15, 2023, and searched his Nitro residence. Rucker admitted that he and others used the residence to distribute controlled substances. Officers seized 64.45 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 41 grams of fentanyl, 11 firearms, and ammunition during the search. Rucker admitted that he and another individual possessed the firearms and ammunition and intended to distribute the controlled substances found during the search.

Rucker further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least February 2023 through November 2023. As part of that participation, Rucker admitted that he distributed fentanyl to a confidential informant at his Nitro residence on May 19, 2023, and to transporting quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Huntington to Nitro in a vehicle with co-defendant Mark Lawrence Lowe on September 9, 2023. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and seized approximately 149 grams of fentanyl and 222.6 grams of methamphetamine. Rucker admitted that he and Lowe intended to distribute the controlled substances.

On September 4, 2023, Godfrey received a call from another individual who asked Godfrey to conduct a drug transaction with a specific customer. The individual told Godfrey to distribute 10 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of methamphetamine to the customer, who would be bringing $500 for the controlled substances. Godfrey admitted that he met the customer at a location in Huntington pre-arranged by the individual and conducted the transaction. Godfrey further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023.

Brown and Rucker are scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2024, and Godfrey is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024. Brown faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. Rucker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Godfrey faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Brown, Rucker, Godfrey and Lowe are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Brown, Rucker and Godfrey are among 11 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. Another of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against Lowe and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting 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. 3:23-cr-180. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, two men pleaded guilty today to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia, and a Kanawha County woman pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting one of their co-defendants.

Christopher Anthony O'Dell, 38, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty to distribution of quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and Shakur Raekwan Joyce, also known as “Cheeta,” 23, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. The woman, Sharon Lyn Teston, 62, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 18, 2023, O’Dell sold approximately 1.1 grams fentanyl and 3.5 grams of methamphetamine for $200 to a confidential informant at O’Dell’s Hurricane residence. O’Dell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand with the confidential informant by text message.

O’Dell further admitted to participating in the DTO with other individuals from approximately November 2022 through November 2023. The DTO participants used a St. Albans residence to store and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. O’Dell conducted distributions and transported various individuals from the St. Albans residence to a Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington where they received additional amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine before O’Dell transported them back to the St. Albans residence.

On August 24, 2023, Teston traveled with Gary Diaz, a co-defendant of O’Dell and Joyce, to the Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington, where Diaz received approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine. Teston admitted that Diaz gave her the methamphetamine and she hid it in her pants before they drove from Huntington to Nitro. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle on Interstate 64 in Hurricane. During the traffic stop, an officer located and seized the methamphetamine hidden in Teston’s pants. Teston admitted that she knew Diaz was a methamphetamine distributor and that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine she concealed for him.

On August 28, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by O’Dell in St. Albans. The officer seized approximately 51 grams of fentanyl and two muzzleloading pistols from the vehicle during the traffic stop. O’Dell admitted that co-defendant Jashawn William Lawson was a passenger in his vehicle during the traffic stop and that he was aware that Lawson was in possession of fentanyl that Lawson was transporting to St. Albans to distribute. O’Dell further admitted to possessing the seized firearms.

On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers served an arrested warrant on Joyce at his Huntington residence. Officers conducted a search of the residence with Joyce’s consent and found a quantity of methamphetamine in his bedroom. Joyce admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine and intended to distribute it.

Joyce further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 to in and around November 2023. Joyce transported methamphetamine and collected and transported drug proceeds on behalf of other individuals, and received methamphetamine that he distributed to various customers. Joyce admitted that he possessed approximately 877 grams of methamphetamine seized by law enforcement officers during a September 20, 2023 traffic stop of a vehicle in which he was traveling on I-64 in Hurricane.

O'Dell, Joyce and Teston are scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2024. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

O'Dell, Joyce, Lawson and Diaz are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Teston was among the 27 individuals indicted, but pleaded guilty in a separate case.

O’Dell and Joyce are among eight defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. The indictment against Lawson, Diaz and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the cases.

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 Nos. 3:23-cr-180 (O’Dell and Joyce) and 3:24-cr-8 (Teston). 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Aaron Zachary Slash, 23, of Huntington, was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 5, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Slash on the 700 block of Sixth Avenue in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle and found approximately 92 grams of heroin, a loaded Glock 17 9mm pistol and approximately $1,717 in the vehicle. Slash admitted that he possessed the seized heroin and intended to distribute it. Slash further admitted that the cash was proceeds from selling heroin.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and 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. 3:23-cr-173.

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