Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joshua Azale Mitchell, 21, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing firearms from two Kanawha County businesses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 9, 2022, Mitchell broke into a Dunbar business and stole a Diamondback Firearms DB15 5.56 caliber rifle and a Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22 .22-caliber rifle. On November 10, 2022, Mitchell broke into a Charleston business and stole a Custom Arms & Accessories LD-15 5.56 caliber rifle and a DPMS Panther Arms A-15 5.56 caliber rifle.

Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting the thefts. Co-defendant Keara Kilpatrick, 21, of Charleston, was sentenced to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on October 4, 2023, after pleading guilty to two counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting the thefts. Kilpatrick drove Mitchell to and from the two Kanawha County businesses where Mitchell broke in and stole the firearms.

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

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and 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. 2:23-cr-28.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gary F. Fridley II, 41, of Cross Lanes, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $19,732.88 in restitution for embezzlement of labor union assets.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from about December 20, 2018, until about June 12, 2019, Fridley was a union officer in Nitro while employed by American Electric Power (AEP). As the union’s elected financial secretary, Fridley was the union’s chief financial officer and was responsible for preparing and co-signing union checks and maintaining financial records. Fridley was one of three signatories on the union’s checking account at Huntington National Bank in Nitro. As financial secretary, Fridley was entitled to an officer’s salary as well as reimbursement for lost time or wages from his employment when he took off from work for union business.

On about June 12, 2019, Fridley received a check for $1,321.55 as reimbursement for lost time. Fridley admitted that he had not lost any time with AEP during that pay period. Fridley submitted a false voucher to receive an unauthorized lost time payment and forged the signature of another union official in order to cash the check for the fictitious lost time.

Fridley submitted additional false vouchers to receive unauthorized lost time payments from the union and forged the signatures of other union officials to cash the union checks he wrote payable to himself for the fictitious lost time payments. Fridley admitted that he improperly received $19,732.88 through his wrongful actions as the union’s financial secretary.

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson, Andrew J. Tessman and Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-138.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jancent M. Powell, 39, of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $44,628.39 in restitution for failure to pay child support obligations.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 18, 2013, the Family Court of Wood County, West Virginia, ordered Powell to pay $361 a month in child support for his twin daughters. Powell admitted that he made only six of the monthly payments, all in 2014.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-100.

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A federal grand jury in Charleston, West Virginia, returned an indictment today charging five former correctional officers — Mark Holdren, 39; Cory Snyder, 29; Johnathan Walters, 35; Jacob Boothe, 25; and Ashley Toney, 23 — in connection with an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., All five correctional officers, as well as a former lieutenant, Chad Lester, 33, were also charged for covering up of the use of unlawful force.

The indictment alleges that, on March 1, 2022, Holdren, Snyder and Walters conspired with other officers at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, to use unlawful force against Q.B. to retaliate for his earlier attempt to leave his assigned pod. The indictment further alleges that Holdren, Snyder and Walters struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained and handcuffed, and that Boothe and Toney failed to intervene in the unlawful assault, resulting in Q.B.’s death.

The indictment alleges that all six defendants conspired to cover up the use of unlawful force by omitting material information and providing false and misleading information to investigators. The indictment also charges each defendant individually with engaging in misleading conduct toward another person to hinder, delay or prevent the communication of information of the possible commission of a federal offense. Further, the indictment alleges that Walters, Holdren, and Boothe submitted incident reports that contained false and misleading information, as well as omitted the fact that officers had assaulted Q.B. The indictment also charges Lester, Holdren, Snyder, Toney and Boothe with making false statements to the FBI about the circumstances surrounding Q.B.’s death. 

The maximum penalties are life in prison for each of the civil rights offenses, five years in prison for each of the false statement offenses, and twenty years in prison for each of the remaining offenses. 

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia and FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.

Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Coleman for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Perry Johnson Jr., 29, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to 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, 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 in a vehicle to Estep’s Charleston residence the following day.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Estep, 22, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on November 15, 2023, and awaits sentencing. Johnson and Estep 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 22 other defendants 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is 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. 2:23-cr-33. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jolene Myers, 41, of Mount Nebo, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 19, 2022, Myers sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant outside of a Summersville-area business. Myers admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling methamphetamine to the confidential informant on three other occasions in Nicholas County.

On April 9, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Myers on Mount Lookout Road in Nicholas County. Myers admitted that officers found a quantity of methamphetamine in her pants and a SCCY Model CPX-1, 9mm pistol in her purse when they searched her and the vehicle.

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 Central West Virginia Task Force.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-53.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tonja Oakes, 58, of Cross Lanes, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation, including eight months on home detention, and ordered to pay $21,943.80 in restitution for wire fraud. Oakes admitted to defrauding the American Red Cross (ARC) while employed at its Cross Lanes office.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the ARC hired Oakes in 2015 as a business operations specialist, and her duties included acting as the purchasing agent for the ARC Central Appalachian Region. On March 9, 2019, Oakes began working as the executive assistance to the chief executive officer of the ARC Central Appalachian Region. Among her duties in that position, Oakes reviewed monthly statements of credit cards issued by ARC to certain employees and approved the statements for payment. This position allowed Oakes to review and approve her own expenditures.

Oakes admitted to making multiple unauthorized purchases with ARC-provided credit cards from at least February 17, 2017 through at least October 5, 2020. Oakes further admitted that the unauthorized transactions included a $973.77 payment for servicing a 2011 Kia Sorento on June 8, 2020. Other unauthorized purchases by Oakes included buying items while on vacation in South Carolina, groceries, and personal items purchased on Amazon. Oakes admitted that she used her employment position to review and approve her credit card statements, even though she knew many of the payments were unauthorized.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-67.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shawn Michael Patton, 47, of Dunbar, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 13, 2022, Patton sold 2 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on the front porch of his Park Drive residence in Dunbar in exchange for $700.

On February 9, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Patton’s residence and seized approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine from a bedroom chair and $14,572.

On September 20, 2022, officers executed another search warrant at Patton’s residence and seized approximately 287 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms and $554.

On October 5, 2022, Patton was arrested by officers and consented to a search of his residence. Officers seized approximately 25 grams of heroin, 379 grams of marijuana and $2,315.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-212.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jerry D. Elkins, 54, of Danville, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation, including 10 months on home detention, and ordered to pay $94,197.93 in restitution for theft from programs receiving federal funds. Elkins admitted to fraudulently obtaining $94,197.93 of federal abandoned mine land (AML) remediation sub-grant funds while employed by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Elkins also set up a shell limited liability company to receive a portion of the sub-grant award funds and created fraudulent invoices in an attempt to conceal the nature of the payments.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about April 2017 until on or about August 7, 2019, Elkins assisted Aleksey Krylov and one of Krylov’s companies with their application for a DEP AML pilot program sub-grant. The DEP receives grant funding from the United States Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) for, among other purposes, accelerating the remediation of eligible sites for economic revitalization and community development purposes under the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program.

Since 2016, West Virginia has received $181 million in AMLER block grant funds. Numerous private entities apply to receive AML sub-grants, and the process for selecting projects to receive sub-grant awards is competitive.

Elkins was initially a regional planner and later an inspector for the DEP during the time period, and had become acquainted with Krylov prior to joining the DEP. Krylov and his company proposed to construct and operate an aquaponics facility that would produce commercial quantities of vegetables and fruits at a project site near Madison. To assist Krylov and his company, Elkins collected water samples, obtained public support, boosted Krylov’s project internally at DEP, provided his opinion and suggestions for improving the sub-grant application, and continuously monitored the application’s status.

In August and September 2018, Elkins registered a limited liability company, Wanaque River Holdings LLC (“Wanaque”), in Delaware and opened a bank account for Wanaque at a bank in Charleston, West Virginia, in order to receive and obscure payments from Krylov. Elkins admitted that Wanaque had no other legitimate business purpose besides receiving funds from Krylov and Krylov’s companies. Elkins further admitted that he directed the creation of a third-party pay-bill account through Bill.com, a cloud-based payments platform, that was used to send invoices from Wanaque to companies under Krylov’s control.

From about October 19, 2018, through about August 7, 2019, Wanaque received $94,197.93 in electronic fund transfers and checks from Krylov and his companies. Elkins admitted that the $94,197.34 originated from the aquaponics project’s sub-grant reimbursements from the DEP and were ultimately diverted to him. Elkins further admitted that he had no right to receive those funds and fraudulently converted them to his own use. Elkins also admitted to taking steps to hide, conceal and cover up his activity and the nature and scope of his dealings with Krylov. Those steps included failing to list his interest in Wanaque when he signed the federal OSMRE State Employee Statement of Employment and Financial Interest form on February 20, 2019.

Krylov, 42, of South Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting theft from programs receiving federal funds on July 27, 2023, and awaits sentencing.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the investigative work of the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations, and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-78.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging five former correctional officers — Mark Holdren, 39; Cory Snyder, 29; Johnathan Walters, 35; Jacob Boothe, 25; and Ashley Toney, 23 — in connection with an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., All five correctional officers, as well as a former lieutenant, Chad Lester, 33, were also charged for covering up of the use of unlawful force.

The indictment alleges that, on March 1, 2022, Holdren, Snyder and Walters conspired with other officers at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, to use unlawful force against Q.B. to retaliate for his earlier attempt to leave his assigned pod. The indictment further alleges that Holdren, Snyder and Walters struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained and handcuffed, and that Boothe and Toney failed to intervene in the unlawful assault, resulting in Q.B.’s death.

The indictment alleges that all six defendants conspired to cover up the use of unlawful force by omitting material information and providing false and misleading information to investigators. The indictment also charges each defendant individually with engaging in misleading conduct toward another person to hinder, delay or prevent the communication of information of the possible commission of a federal offense. Further, the indictment alleges that Walters, Holdren, and Boothe submitted incident reports that contained false and misleading information, as well as omitted the fact that officers had assaulted Q.B. The indictment also charges Lester, Holdren, Snyder, Toney and Boothe with making false statements to the FBI about the circumstances surrounding Q.B.’s death. 

The maximum penalties are life in prison for each of the civil rights offenses, five years in prison for each of the false statement offenses, and twenty years in prison for each of the remaining offenses. 

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia and FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.

Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Coleman for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-188.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join with Huntington leaders on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. at the Huntington Police Department to discuss $1,872,987 in U.S. Department of Justice grants awarded to the City of Huntington.

WHO: U.S. Attorney Will Thompson

             Huntington Mayor Steve Williams

             Huntington Police Chief Phil Watkins

 

WHAT: Press Conference

WHEN: Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Huntington Police Department, 675 10th Street, Huntington

 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. – Darrail Antoine Pulley, 24, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and six 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 March 17, 2023, Pulley sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in an alley behind a residence on the 1800 block of Ninth Avenue in Huntington. Pulley admitted to the transaction, and further admitted that he had arranged the transaction with the confidential informant by phone earlier that day.

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 Department.

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-41.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Christopher D. Spaulding, also known as “Casino,” 32, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2019, Spaulding was at an Eighth Street bar in Huntington when two individuals approached him and asked if he had cocaine for sale. Spaulding accompanied the individuals from the bar to a vehicle parked outside. Spaulding admitted that while in the vehicle, he distributed a substance containing cocaine and fentanyl to both individuals.

Spaulding further admitted that shortly after one of the individuals nasally inhaled the substance, she began to exhibit signs of an overdose. Later that evening, Spaulding drove the individual to Cabell Huntington Hospital in her vehicle. The individual was not responsive or breathing when they reached the hospital, and hospital staff physically removed her from the vehicle. The individual was later pronounced dead by medical staff.

Spaulding also admitted that he later learned that the other individual had exhibited signs of an overdose after nasally inhaling the substance. This individual received naloxone from Cabell County Emergency Medical Services before being transported to Cabell Huntington Hospital where he recovered.

Toxicology testing confirmed that the substance distributed by Spaulding to both individuals contained fentanyl and cocaine. Spaulding admitted that the cause of death of the individual who died was due to alcohol, fentanyl and cocaine intoxication. Spaulding further admitted that this individual would not have died but for the fentanyl he distributed to her.

Spaulding is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 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 Huntington Police Department and the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Stephanie Taylor 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. 3:23-cr-18. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Sean Patrick Boyd Jr., 26, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to receipt of stolen money. Boyd admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $20,832 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, on April 18, 2021, Boyd applied for a PPP loan on behalf of his purported business, “Sean Boyd.” Boyd falsely stated in his application that “Sean Boyd” was in operation on February 15, 2020, which was a requirement to qualify for a PPP loan. Boyd admitted that “Sean Boyd” was fictitious and was not a registered business entity in West Virginia at the time he applied for the loan. Businesses applying for PPP loans were also required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Boyd admitted that he submitted a false IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, stating that “Sean Boyd” had earned $99,996 in gross income during 2019.

Boyd submitted the loan application electronically from West Virginia and it was uploaded to servers in Nebraska for processing. Boyd’s loan application was approved and $20,832 was electronically transferred to his personal bank account in West Virginia. Boyd admitted that before he received the fraudulent loan, his bank account balance was $12.47. On May 24, 2021, Boyd withdrew $10,000 of the fraudulent loan proceeds from his bank’s branch in Nitro.

The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.

Boyd is scheduled to be sentenced on February 7, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Boyd also owes $23,817.79 in restitution.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage 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. 2:23-cr-123. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Paul Richard Spurlock, 66, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud. Spurlock admitted that he embezzled approximately $106,500 from a fraternal organization’s historic charitable care home by using his position as its board’s treasurer.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows - West Virginia had operated the Odd Fellows and Rebekah Home in Elkins beginning in the early 1900s. Over its history, the institution provided housing and care for orphans, widows, seniors and people with disabilities.

Spurlock had been the treasurer of the home’s board of directors for several years when he lost his seat on the board in October 2018. Spurlock admitted that from on or about July 8, 2015, to on or about January 22, 2019, he embezzled approximately $106,500 from the Odd Fellows Home. Spurlock falsely told his wife, who was acting as the home’s bookkeeper, that the home’s board of directors had approved a loan for their family.

Spurlock admitted that as part of his scheme, he caused an unauthorized check for $4,000 from the Odd Fellows Home’s account to be issued to his wife on January 22, 2019, and deposited into their shared Huntington bank account. Spurlock further admitted that he signed at least 33 unauthorized Odd Fellows Home checks made payable to his wife and deposited into their joint account, and used an authorized signatory’s signature stamp on each check without his wife’s knowledge.

The Odd Fellows Home closed and was auctioned off in 2022 because of financial difficulties.

Spurlock is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Spurlock also owes $106,500 in restitution.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-172. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Aaron Zachary Slash, 22, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to 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.

Slash is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 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 Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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-173. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Today, inmates Rico Salguero, 40, Jamal Brooks, 26, and Jarvis Burl, 26, were each sentenced to one year and one day in prison and inmate John Durant, 34, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison for possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison. Today’s sentences will run consecutive to the prison terms the inmates are currently serving, and will be followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, each inmate admitted to possessing a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank,” at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley in separate incidents on the following dates: Salguero on December 9, 2022; Brooks on January 7, 2023; Burl on February 22, 2023; and Durant on April 10, 2023.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:23-cr-105 (Salguero), 5:23-cr-103 (Brooks), 5:23-cr-101 (Burl), and 5:23-cr-102 (Durant).

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Tabatha Deavers, 30, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Deavers admitted that she obtained $176,118.73 through a fraudulent scheme that began with her roommate’s employment with an office cleaning business.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Deavers and her roommate, Brittany King, unlawfully obtained the personal identification information of numerous individuals by using King’s access to local business offices as a cleaning service worker. Deavers and King rerouted the mail of their identity theft victims and opened lines of credit and bank accounts and obtained loans and credit cards in their names.

From approximately December 2020 through at least December 1, 2022, Deavers and King stole money and property from individuals, companies, lenders, financial institutions and car dealerships with their scheme. Deavers admitted that she and King submitted a fraudulent change of address form to the United States Postal Service to reroute one victim’s mail to their Bridge Road apartment in Charleston on June 7, 2022. Deavers further admitted that she attempted to purchase a vehicle from a Charleston area car dealership using the personal identification information of another victim on January 15, 2022.

Deavers is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 22 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Deavers also owes $176,118.73 in restitution.

King, 35, of East Bank, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on October 3, 2023, and awaits sentencing. Co-defendant Amy Deavers, 50, of Glasgow, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on October 17, 2023, and awaits sentencing.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, the United States Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General,  and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Andrew D. Isabell and Jonathan T. Storage are prosecuting the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson provided substantial assistance.

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-14. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Eric I. Day, 52, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 21, 2021, law enforcement officers responding to reports of an altercation on South Huber Street in Beckley encountered Day and his girlfriend. The officers recovered a Lorcin model .380-caliber handgun from the waistband of Day’s shorts.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Day knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for first-degree robbery in Raleigh County Circuit Court on May 16, 2017.

Day is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley Police Department.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.

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. 5:22-cr-86. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join Mission West Virginia and other officials to help celebrate National Adoption Month on Thursday, November 16, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Bible Center Church.

Thompson will speak along with a youth who has experienced adoption firsthand, parents in the foster care system and Dr. Cynthia Persily, Incoming Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services. The press conference will also feature a proclamation from Gov. Jim Justice declaring November 2023 as Adoption Awareness Month.

Thompson will also present stuffed toys and books collected by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for distribution by child case workers, child advocacy centers, law enforcement, partners with West Virginia’s Handle With Care program and others on the front lines who interact with children exposed to trauma, violence and abuse.

 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.

WHAT: National Adoption Month Press Conference and Toy-Book Drive Event

WHEN: Thursday, November 16, 2023, at 11 a.m.

WHERE: Bible Center Church, 1100 Bible Center Drive, Charleston

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will be joined by federal, state and local law enforcement officials today at 2:45 p.m. at the Sidney L. Christie Federal Building in Huntington to announce a major drug trafficking indictment.

WHO: United States Attorney Will Thompson and law enforcement officials

WHAT: Announcement of Major Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) Prosecution

WHEN: Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 2:45 p.m.

WHERE: Sidney L. Christie Federal Building, Huntington

 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. – United States Attorney Will Thompson joined with law enforcement officials today to announce an indictment charging 27 individuals for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.

The indictment unsealed today is the result of an eight-month multi-state investigation and charges individuals from Michigan, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. The 53-count indictment charges the co-conspirators with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Law enforcement officers obtained numerous search warrants in support of the investigation, including several executed this morning along with accompanying arrest warrants. Officers have so far seized approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine, 2 pounds of fentanyl, 26 firearms and $10,500.

“This case reflects the continuing commitment of this office to target the individuals who threaten our communities with these drugs and the violence that accompanies drug trafficking,” Thompson said. “This case also provides the latest example of the exemplary investigative effort and determined teamwork of our many law enforcement partners.”

The investigation was conducted by 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.

“The arrests demonstrate the continuing impact federal, state and local partnerships have on illegal drug trafficking,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “Huntington has been plagued by illegal drugs and fears of violence for too long, and it must be addressed. The FBI will aggressively investigate criminal organizations that target our communities with their drugs and violence and ensure they are held accountable.”

“The Huntington community is safer today with these individuals off of our streets,” said J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Louisville Field Division.  “I am proud of the work done by the dedicated men and women of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to dismantle this violent drug trafficking organization.  We will always make it our mission to deliver the full weight of the justice system against anyone seeking to sow misery and suffering in our communities.”

“Today’s arrests are an example of a combined effort of federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies working together to indict these 27 individuals, who were bringing large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl to the Huntington area for an extended period of time, and taking these individuals off the street,” said Cabell County Sheriff Chuck Zerkle.

Charged in the 53-count federal indictment are: Derrell Cashawn Massey, also known as "Rell" and "Fat Rell," 33, of Detroit, Michigan; Talon Aaron McIntosh, also known as "Trey" and "T," 27, of Detroit, Michigan; Georgia Alice Jackson, 31, of Huntington; Nehmiah Allen-Griggs, also known as "Newski," 22, of Dallas, Georgia; Donald James Duty, 51, of Huntington; Tyrone John Thurmond, also known as "T.Y.," 23, of Detroit, Michigan; Jashawn William Lawson, also known as "Nitty," 22, of Detroit, Michigan; Mario Alonzo Pettway III, also known as "Mike," 23, of Detroit, Michigan; Hakeem Rashad Mack, also known as "Paper," 30, of Detroit, Michigan; Paul Anthony Rucker, 46, of Nitro; Kayla Dawn Powell, 37, of Hurricane; Vernard Antonio Brown, also known as "Bam," 32, of Detroit, Michigan; Tylar Harrison Harless, 25, of Tomahawk, Kentucky; Trevon Eaarle Godfrey, also known as "Trey," 27, of Detroit, Michigan; Christopher Anthony O'Dell, 38, of Hurricane; Gary Diaz, also known as "Poppy," 66, of Nitro; Sharon Teston, aka Angie Marie Cogar, 47, of Nitro; Mark Lawrence Lowe, also known as "Cell," 22, of Detroit, Michigan; Shakur Raekwan Joyce, also known as "Cheeta," 23, of Huntington; Denzil Roger Grant II, 49, of Hurricane; Ladonna Rae Abner, 49, of Nitro; Kyla Smith, also known as "Flaca," 28, of Huntington; Jerry D. Pemberton, 47, of Ironton, Ohio; Thomas Shane Holland, 53, of Salt Rock; Charles Clinton Cordle, 65, of Ashland, Kentucky; Josie Irene Copley, 58, of Flatwoods, Kentucky; and Walter Alvin Cremeans, 56, of Culloden.

Note: 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.

Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams and Assistant United States Attorney 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. – Alexandria Jasmine Estep, 22, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Estep admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Estep participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy between October 2022 and January 2023. Initially, Estep regularly obtained multiple pounds of methamphetamine from a Charleston supplier.  She would then re-distribute the methamphetamine to others in the Charleston area.  

In November 2022, Estep stopped dealing with the Charleston supplier and arranged to buy multiple pounds of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator. On November 29, 2022, the co-conspirator delivered the methamphetamine by vehicle to Estep’s Charleston residence. Estep conducted the transaction with an additional co-conspirator who was in the vehicle during the delivery.

Estep is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Estep is 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 and 22 other defendants 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is 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. 2:23-cr-33. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Amy Lynn Carter, 40, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to deliver 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 20, 2021, Carter was a passenger in a vehicle parked at a Barboursville convenience store when a law enforcement officer approached the vehicle. The officer observed drug paraphernalia in plain view within the vehicle. A police K-9 alerted to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and found 19 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, more than 242 grams of methamphetamine and $10,300. Carter admitted that she possessed the seized methamphetamine and intended to distribute it. Carter further admitted that she intended to buy additional methamphetamine with the cash found in the vehicle for distribution within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 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.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers 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. 3:22-cr-19. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jimmie Lee Holbrook, 43, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 10, 2023, Holbrook sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in a vehicle outside of a service station in Huntington.

Holbrook is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 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 the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s 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. 3:23-cr-149. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Duncan, 43, of Charleston, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,500 in restitution for possession of prepubescent child pornography. Duncan must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 24, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Duncan’s residence and seized electronic devices including a cell phone. A forensic analysis of the cell phone revealed 18 videos and 13 images of child pornography. One image depicts an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female.

A search warrant executed for Duncan’s email account revealed 10 videos of child pornography, including one video that contained 69 individual videos. One of the 69 videos in the collection depicts an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female. The child pornography seized from Duncan includes digital media files that depict 14 known child victims.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Francesca C. Rollo and Julie M. White prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-46.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cody Allen Dalton, 31, of Madison, pleaded guilty today to mail theft.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 1, 2020, Dalton stole a black and white striped sports referee jersey from a post office parcel locker at the Madison Post Office.

Dalton is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Dalton also owes $1,972 in restitution.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Madison Police Department.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-140. 

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Kaleb Merritt, 27, of Princeton, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 27, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Merritt on a Virginia warrant at the Princeton business where he was working. Merritt told the officers that he had a firearm when they asked him if he had any weapons. Officers found a Glock model 43 pistol in Merritt’s pants pocket.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Merritt knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for first-degree arson in Mercer County Circuit Court on June 12, 2015.

Merritt is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 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), the United States Marshals Service and the Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division (CUFFED) Task Force.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-206. 

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Malachi Damonte Cooper, 22, of Princeton, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 8, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Bluefield residence where Cooper was staying. Officers found 734 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 130 grams of fentanyl, digital scales, a money counter, a Micro Draco 7.62mm semi-automatic pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol loaded with a 30-round magazine, and over $23,000. Cooper admitted that he possessed the controlled substances and intended to distribute them.

Cooper is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 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.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of 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 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. 1:23-cr-119. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Latesha Lashae Nappier, 30, of Charleston, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Nappier admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Nappier admitted to conspiring with others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl between November 2022 and March 22, 2023. Nappier lived with one of her co-defendants in Charleston during that time. Nappier admitted that this co-defendant had her sell the controlled substances to individuals while he was at work and collect the payments from the sales. Nappier would later give the money to this co-defendant.

On January 30, 2023, Nappier’s co-defendant directed her by phone to sell methamphetamine to a female customer. Nappier admitted to selling approximately 10.5 grams of methamphetamine to the customer as instructed at her residence in exchange for $160.

Nappier is 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.

Nappier and 21 other defendants 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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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Laura Danielle Jackson, 33, of Gallipolis, Ohio, was sentenced today to three years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $26,074.13 in restitution for two counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about September 17, 2018, Jackson was working at a South Charleston, West Virginia, human resources business when she obtained the personal identification information of an individual who applied for employment there. Between September 18, 2018, and September 27, 2018, Jackson applied for and received two separate credit cards with this individual’s stolen information and had the fraudulent credit cards mailed to her residence in Hurricane, West Virginia, where she was living at the time. Jackson admitted that she activated the cards and purchased $10,626.70 in goods, merchandise and other items of value with them.

Jackson further admitted to committing additional fraudulent acts both before and after her employment with the South Charleston business. Jackson obtained at least $15,447.43 through these additional fraudulent acts.

On or about January 8, 2018, Jackson began working at a Milton, West Virginia, coal company and had access to a company credit card that was to be used solely for business-related expenses. Jackson admitted to making $4,451.88 in personal purchases, buying items including an Apple iPad, a Nintendo Switch and an Apple iWatch, and paying for an April 2018 family vacation to St. Charles, Missouri, with the company credit card. Jackson further admitted to lying about the vacation to the coal company. Jackson told her employer she had been unable to attend work because of a medical emergency, and Jackson provided a forged medical record to support her lie. The coal company fired Jackson in June 2018.

In October 2018, Jackson was hired by a St. Albans, West Virginia, insurance company as a human resources generalist. Jackson admitted that she used her position to access the personal identification information of at least five insurance company employees and attempted to apply for credit cards in their names. On or about December 5, 2018, Jackson received a credit card at her Hurricane residence that she had applied for in the name of an insurance company employee without the employee’s permission or authorization. Jackson admitted to buying $2,878.55 worth of goods and merchandise with the credit card.

After the insurance company learned of Jackson’s arrest for defrauding the Milton coal company, Jackson falsely told the insurance company that she had been wrongly accused. Jackson provided the insurance company with forged documents that purported to show that the court cases against her had been dismissed and that she had received a settlement from the coal company because of false accusations against her. The insurance company fired Jackson on February 15, 2019.

On or about January 13, 2020, a Cross Lanes, West Virginia, tax firm hired Jackson to perform accounting, bookkeeping, payroll and tax-related services for its clients. Jackson admitted that she accessed the payroll records for one tax firm client and added a fake employee to the client’s payroll. Jackson used her ex-husband’s Social Security number without his permission or authorization to create the fake employee. On October 16, 2020, the client deposited the fake employee’s paycheck in the amount of $1,067 into Jackson’s bank account.

Jackson further admitted to defrauding a church that was another client of the tax firm. Beginning in September 2020 through December 2020, Jackson wrote at least $7,050 worth of checks payable from the church to herself and cashed them at branches of a bank in Kanawha County, West Virginia. Jackson manipulated the church’s bookkeeping information to conceal her fraud.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the South Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-16.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. –  Eric Shawn Phillips, 43, of Princeton, was sentenced today 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. Phillips must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about April 19, 2021, to on or about February 17, 2022, Phillips persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor female to engage in sexual activity with him. Phillips admitted that his criminal conduct included sending numerous sexually explicit messages to the minor female via text messaging and social media messaging apps.

“The sentence imposed today case reflects the horrific circumstances of this case and the truly despicable acts of this defendant,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the investigative work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department and the excellent coordination with the Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.”

Phillips has related charges pending in Mercer County Circuit Court, where co-defendant Amber Nicole Phillips has pleaded guilty to being a parent, guardian, custodian or person in a position of trust allowing the sexual abuse of a child. Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran also commended the work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.

“We have a great working relationship with the United States Attorney’s Office and appreciate all of their assistance in helping us protect our Mercer County kids from sexual predators,” Cochran said.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-194.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Myron Dwayne Brown, also known as “Mylo,” 44, of Welch, was sentenced today to one year 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 February 22, 2022, Brown sold a substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Havaco residence in McDowell County. Brown admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling controlled substances at the Havaco residence on December 29, 2021, and February 28, 2022. Brown was aided and abetted by another individual during the December 29, 2021, transaction and the controlled substance sold was confirmed by the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory to contain butonitazene, a federal Schedule I controlled substance.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of 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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-35.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Corey Michael Perkins, 34, an inmate, was sentenced today to three years and 11 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2022, Perkins was an inmate at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville when he spoke to Judy Ann Goodman, an individual outside the jail, during recorded phone calls about getting a package of suboxone and methamphetamine into the jail. Perkins admitted that he told Goodman how to prepare the package and arranged for her to deliver it to Bryanna Danielle Kern, a kitchen employee at the jail. Perkins further admitted that he arranged for Kern to be paid to smuggle the package into the jail, and that he intended to distribute the suboxone and methamphetamine. The package was intercepted at the jail before it could be transported inside.

Goodman, also known as Judy Ann Eplion, 32, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was sentenced to two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on September 5, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine. Kern was sentenced to three years of federal probation, including three months of home detention, on October 17, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone.

In an earlier case, Perkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. In that case, Perkins admitted to coordinating with multiple individuals to get drugs into the Western Regional Jail from November 2020 to December 2020. Perkins was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison in that case on August 22, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the investigations section of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-220.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jeremy Adam Bartram, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and violating his supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 30, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Bartram in Huntington. Officers searched Bartram’s vehicle and arrested him. Bartram admitted that when he was taken to the Huntington Police Department, a bag containing approximately 172 grams of methamphetamine fell out of his shorts as he got out of the police cruiser.

Officers later searched Bartram in a holding cell and found approximately 10.4 grams of fentanyl hidden in his person. Bartram admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine and the fentanyl.

At the time of this offense, Bartram was serving a term of federal supervised release after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on September 19, 2019. Today’s prison sentence includes two years for committing a crime while on supervised release.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie 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 Nos. 3:23-cr-86 and 3:19-cr-182.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Telisa Rene McCauley, 31, of Charleston, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, admitting to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, McCauley admitted to conspiring with a co-defendant to obtain methamphetamine on or about February 4, 2023. McCauley attempted to obtain methamphetamine from her co-defendant prior to that date, but was told that the co-defendant was out of methamphetamine. The co-defendant then offered McCauley a discount if she would travel to obtain the methamphetamine on the co-defendant’s behalf. McCauley agreed, traveled to the designated location, and obtained the methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of McCauley’s vehicle as she traveled back to the Charleston area, searched her car, and recovered approximately 7 pounds of methamphetamine in the back seat.

McCauley is 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.

McCauley and 21 other defendants 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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BECKLEY, W.Va. –Xavier Sanders, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to 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 traveled with Crystal Wilks, Jamarcus Harris, and a third co-conspirator from North Carolina to West Virginia. Sanders admitted that they passed counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville upon their arrival.

Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sanders also owes at least $400 in restitution.

Wilks, 23, and Harris, 32, both of Lenoir, North Carolina, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States on October 13, 2023, and await 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon, Andrew D. Isabell and Ryan Blackwell are prosecuting the case.

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

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Rance Allen Mitchem, 41, of Lewisburg, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 27, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Lewisburg apartment where Mitchem was staying. Officers seized approximately 38 grams of methamphetamine, scales, packaging materials, and a Taurus model G2S .40-caliber handgun. Mitchem admitted to possessing the seized methamphetamine and an additional 93.1 grams of methamphetamine that officers found when Mitchem told them it was in his parked vehicle.

Mitchem further admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and use some of it himself. Mitchem also told officers that he had distributed quantities of methamphetamine at least once a week for approximately five months.

Mitchem is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, 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.

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.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk 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-161. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Levi Rider, 19, of Charleston, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possession of prepubescent child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 26, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rider’s residence and seized Rider’s cell phone. Rider admitted to officers that he clicked on internet links that contained child pornography. Officers found more than a dozen images and videos depicting child pornography on his seized cell phone, and more than 100 videos and images depicting child pornography on his Kik Messenger mobile app account.

On November 17, 2022, law enforcement officers executed another search warrant at Rider’s residence. Officers seized Rider’s new cell phone, and on it they found several videos depicting child pornography. One of the videos depicted an adult male anally sexually assaulting a prepubescent child.

Officers found a total of 92 videos and 44 images depicting prepubescent child pornography on Rider’s cell phones and Kik account.

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

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Francesca C. Rollo prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-24.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorneys Will Thompson and William Ihlenfeld joined with leaders from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Division and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) yesterday for training in response to rising antisemitism.

Charleston and Wheeling synagogues co-hosted the joint training session, presented by AJC and part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s United Against Hate (UAH) Community Outreach Program.

Thompson, Ihlenfeld and other speakers noted that planning for this training had begun well before the Hamas terror attacks and resulting conflict.

“This event was essential well before October 7, and is certainly essential now,” Thompson said. “Whether it is anti-Jewish hate, or anti-Muslim hate, or any other form of hate, we must and we will stand against all of it.”

“Hate-fueled crimes were a problem prior to October 7, and have only gotten worse since that day,” Ihlenfeld said. “This training provided a great opportunity to share information about the nature of the threat and the resources that the Justice Department brings to bear.”

The training aimed to enhance the understanding of the problem, identify effective responses to hate incidents, and empower people to speak out.

“This training was filled with invaluable information for the community,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “With antisemitism and hate crimes on the rise, these are serious crimes that not only affect one person, but an entire population and community. The public plays an important role in these cases. They are our eyes and ears in the communities we serve. We are constantly working to address these threats locally while focusing on building a relationship of trust and maintaining open dialogue so the community knows they can come to us with something suspicious or threatening.”

The training featured a message of perseverance and strength from Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the target of the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. Myers spoke of the 2018 terrorist attack and its continuing impact as well as the overwhelming response from an already supportive community.

“What an incredible message that was, and continues to be to the rest of the world, that when people care deeply about each other, so much is possible,” Myers said. “I am someone still with hope that despite the horrors I witnessed that day, that we are able to find ways to be together, that we can rebuild community.”

The training included an overview of the trial and conviction of the Tree of Life assailant. It also included the subsequent guilty plea in the Northern District of West Virginia from a self-proclaimed white supremacist who targeted jurors and witnesses, including first responders, through threatening social media posts, website comments, and emails during the trial.

AJC leaders provided examples of antisemitism and how they can invoke ancient and medieval stereotypes, dehumanizing language and other falsehoods. They also cited recent polling of U.S. adults that found that the overwhelming majority, 91 percent, identified antisemitism as a problem for everyone that affects society as a whole.

“Antisemitism is not a Jewish problem. Period,” said AJC Washington Regional Director Alan Ronkin. “It is a societal problem. And when people recognize that, we can be a lot more effective in standing up to anti-Jewish hate.”

 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. – Timothy Allen Loudermilk, 64, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Loudermilk 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, between January and March 2023, Loudermilk was living in the Charleston area and obtaining methamphetamine from a local supplier. Loudermilk’s supplier knew that he was re-distributing at least a portion of the methamphetamine. Loudermilk typically would receive one-half ounce of methamphetamine at a time, but sometimes he would obtain more. Loudermilk admitted that he was responsible for between 200 and 350 grams of methamphetamine in connection with the conspiracy.

Loudermilk is 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.

Loudermilk and 21 other defendants 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. – Isaiah Harley Daniels, 24, of Sissonville, was ordered today to serve 10 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and pay $6,000 in restitution for attempted enticement of a minor. Daniels must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2021 Daniels began communicating online with a 13-year-old girl using the Kik instant messaging app. Daniels admitted to sending the minor female pornographic images while explaining sexual intercourse to her and asking her to “get naked.” Daniels further admitted to initiating several video calls with the minor female in an attempt to watch her masturbate. He took screenshots of some of his conversations with the minor female that he saved on his cell phone.

Daniels also admitted to engaging in online conversation that were sexual in nature with other individuals he believed to be children. Daniels pretended to be 17 years old at times so he would appear younger. Several of the individuals that Daniels believed were children sent him images of themselves naked and masturbating.

Daniels admitted that he knowingly possessed 22 images and 297 videos on his cell phone and in his Kik account depicting known minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence today, confirming the prison and supervised release terms he imposed at an October 16, 2023 hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorneys Will Thompson and William Ihlenfeld will join with leaders from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Division and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Monday, November 6, 2023, for training in response to rising antisemitism.

The training will by presented by AJC officials and include a message from Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Congregation about perseverance and strength following the 2018 antisemitic terrorist attack at the Pittsburgh synagogue.

U.S. Attorneys Thompson and Ihlenfeld will participate at synagogues in their respective districts that are jointly hosting this training, which is also being offered virtually.

The culture and rich diversity of the Jewish community will be discussed along with examples of antisemitism that stem from ancient and medieval antisemitic falsehoods. The training aims to enhance the understanding of the problem, identify effective responses to hate incidents, and empower people to speak out.

The joint sessions are part of the United Against Hate (UAH) Community Outreach Program, a nationwide initiative to combat unlawful acts of hate and improve hate crime reporting.

*** While media is invited to cover this joint event, participation is limited to law enforcement partners and other pre-registered stakeholders. ***

WHO: United States Attorney Will Thompson, Southern District of West Virginia

            United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld, Northern District of West Virginia

            Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Swanson, FBI Pittsburgh Division

            Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs Julie Rayman, AJC

            Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, Tree of Life Congregation, Pittsburgh, Pa.

 

WHAT: United Against Hate: Addressing Rising Antisemitism

WHEN: Monday, November 6, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

WHERE:  Congregation B'nai Jacob, 1599 Virginia Street East, Charleston, W.Va.

                   Temple Shalom, 23 Bethany Pike Highway, Wheeling, W.Va.

 

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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Two former corrections officers from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, pleaded guilty yesterday for their respective roles in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B.

According to their plea agreements, Wimmer and Fleshman each acknowledged that they separately responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod and that, when each arrived at the pod, Q.B. was on the floor as force was being used against him. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Wimmer, Fleshman and other members of the conspiracy then escorted Q.B. to an interview room where members of the conspiracy, aided and abetted by each other, struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Wimmer and Fleshman each admitted that the members of the conspiracy struck and injured Q.B. in the interview room in order to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod.

In his plea agreement, Fleshman further admits that he was one of the members of the conspiracy who injured Q.B. inside the interview room while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat. Fleshman acknowledged that he and others then removed Q.B. from the interview room to a cell, where members of the conspiracy struck and injured Q.B. to punish him while he was restrained, handcuffed and while he posed no threat to anyone.

In his plea agreement, Wimmer further admitted that he struck and injured Q.B. after he was brought to the cell to punish Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and while he posed no threat to anyone.

Wimmer and Fleshman each pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for Feb. 22, 2024. According to their respective plea agreements, Wimmer and Fleshman each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is investigating the case.

Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Deputy Criminal Chief Monica Coleman for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – La Percy Demond Allen, also known as “Pete,” 44, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced today to eight years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the distribution of fentanyl and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 27, 2021, Allen sold approximately 26 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Beckley. Allen admitted to that transaction and to selling approximately 3.4 additional grams of fentanyl and approximately 53 grams of heroin to the informant during other transactions in Beckley between July 9, 2021, and August 4, 2021.

On August 10, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Beckley residence and found approximately 53 grams of fentanyl, a loaded Hi-Point Model 995 9mm rifle, and $6,730. Allen admitted to possessing the firearm, cash and fentanyl. Allen further admitted that intended to distribute the fentanyl and that the money was from the distribution of heroin.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Allen knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of felony convictions for heroin trafficking and evidence tampering in the Scioto County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on December 10, 2013, and for trafficking and possessing cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Lawrence County, Ohio, Common Please Court on December 29, 2008.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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. 5:21-cr-154 and 5:22-cr-2.

 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Dana Stewart, 30, 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 September 30, 2022, Stewart struck another inmate with a handcrafted weapon, a lock attached to a sock. FCI Beckley staff witnessed the incident and recovered the weapon afterward. Stewart admitted to possessing a prohibited item that was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

Stewart is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 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 District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-55. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Quantel O. Saunders, 29, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to 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.

Saunders is scheduled to be sentenced on March 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 United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley Police Department.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Parsons is prosecuting the case.

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

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. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeremy Rayshad Walker, 35, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Walker 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, between January and March 2023 Walker obtained cocaine from several individuals that he re-distributed to customers as part of the DTO conspiracy. Walker also admitted to conspiring to distribute other controlled substances.

Walker communicated with his drug suppliers by cell phone. On February 1, 2023, Walker spoke with one supplier by cell phone about obtaining methamphetamine and sought advice about how much he should charge customers. Walker admitted that he also discussed the price he was charging customers for cocaine during a cell phone call with an associate on February 15, 2023. Walker further admitted to additional cell phone conversations with a drug supplier to obtain quantities of cocaine in March 2023.

Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Walker is 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.

Walker and 21 other defendants 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is 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. 2:23-cr-31. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Harland Lee Todd, 34, of Mount Hope, pleaded guilty today to 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.

Todd is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 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 and the Central West Virginia Task Force.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk 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-124. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jason Todd Weaver, 50, of Mount Hope, pleaded guilty today to 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 Local Union 1509 of the American Postal Workers Union to write out a check for $352.62 to himself 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 to writing 12 other checks totaling $2,679.32 from Local 1509’s bank account to himself and forging the names of other authorized account signatories between April 25, 2016, and May 19, 2021.

Weaver is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 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 United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS).

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-130. 

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