Southern District of West Virginia

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Stephen Simmons, 41, of Nitro, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered machinegun.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 3, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Simmons’ 32nd Street residence in Nitro. Officers seized two Glock switches, two drop-in auto sears, six firearm silencers, and more than 40 firearms including a Ruger, model 10/22, .22-caliber rifle that was reported stolen in Boone County.

Glock switches, drop-in auto sears, and firearm silencers are all machineguns as defined by federal law. Glock switches are devices designed solely to convert semiautomatic Glock pistols into fully automatic machineguns. Drop-in auto sears are devices designed solely to convert semiautomatic AR-type firearms into fully automatic machineguns, Firearm silencers are designed to silence, muffle or diminish the report of a portable firearm.

Simmons admitted that he possessed a Glock switch and further admitted that he did not register the Glock switch in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.

The Court also found that Simmons was an unlawful user of controlled substances, and as a result was prohibited from possessing firearms on January 3, 2023.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Troy D. Adams and Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-21.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Ildiberto Gonzalez Jr., 29, of San Bernadino, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and Keith Royal Goode-Harper, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking. Each 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 March 18, 2023, Gonzalez delivered approximately 196 pounds of methamphetamine and four kilograms of cocaine to an individual in Bluefield, West Virginia, in exchange for a box that he believed contained $400,000. Gonzalez admitted that a co-conspirator in California provided the controlled substances in boxes and a bag that Gonzalez transported in his 2009 Freightliner semi-truck with attached trailer. Gonzalez further admitted he knew the boxes and bag contained a controlled substance but believed it was only cocaine.

Gonzalez communicated by cell phone with the co-conspirator, who directed him to a parking lot in Bluefield. There, Gonzalez gave the bag to another individual and loaded the boxes into the individual’s vehicle. Gonzalez admitted that the individual gave him a box that he believed contained the cash, and that he intended to deliver the money to the co-conspirator upon his return to California.

Gonzalez was driving away from the transaction in his semi-truck when law enforcement pulled him over. Gonzalez notified his co-conspirator by phone during the traffic stop. Officers seized his cell phone and a loaded 9mm pistol that Gonzalez also had in the truck’s cab.

Gonzalez admitted that he previously delivered boxes containing a controlled substance in approximately January 2023 from California to the individual in Bluefield at the direction of the co-conspirator. Gonzalez admitted he received cash for that transaction that he took back to California and gave to the co-conspirator.

On January 25, 2023, Goode-Harper obtained 7 ounces of methamphetamine from a co-defendant at the co-defendant’s residence in Charleston. Goode-Harper admitted that he arranged the purchase with the co-defendant in advance over a series of cell phone calls. Goode-Harper further admitted that he had asked to purchase 10 ounces of methamphetamine for a customer, but that the co-defendant told him that he only had 7 ounces of methamphetamine available.

Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 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. Goode-Harper is scheduled to be sentenced on January 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Gonzalez and Goode-Harper 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.

Twenty-one of the 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 Nos. 1:23-cr-32 (Gonzalez) and 2:23-cr-135 (Goode-Harper). 

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Valerie June Damron, 62, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 11, 2022, Damron sold approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Seventh Avenue residence. Damron admitted to that transaction and to selling quantities of methamphetamine totaling approximately 69 grams on three occasions between October 14 and October 19, 2022. Damron further admitted that the quantities of fentanyl were mixed in with the methamphetamine sold in two of those additional transactions.

On October 20, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Damron’s residence and seized approximately 122 grams of methamphetamine, 20.5 grams of fentanyl and multiple firearms including a Davis Industries .22-caliber pistol, a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, and a FT 9mm pistol. Damron admitted that she intended to distribute the controlled substances.

On February 2, 2023, investigators arrested Damron at her residence and seized approximately 211 grams of methamphetamine, 3.5 grams of fentanyl and a Kel-Tex .380-caliber pistol. Damron told the investigators that she had been previously supplied with 2 to 3 pounds of methamphetamine on multiple occasions by another individual.

Damron is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-19. 

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Haskell Cornell, 44, of Barboursville, pleaded guilty today to making false statements in acquisition of firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 14, 2022, Cornell purchased a Century CAHG2797-N 7.62x39mm semi-automatic firearm, also known as a “Micro Draco,” with a high-capacity magazine from a Huntington business. Cornell admitted that he falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that he was the true purchaser of the firearm. Cornell knew he was buying the firearm for two individuals who sent him to the business and provided him with the money for the purchase. Cornell further admitted that the two individuals provided him with controlled substances in exchange for purchasing the firearms.

Cornell bought additional firearms for the two individuals, who sent him into the same Huntington business and provided the money for each purchase. Cornell bought a Ruger-5.7, 5.7x28mm semi-automatic pistol on September 18, 2021, a Glock G21 Gen4 semi-automatic pistol on November 27, 2021, and a Glock G19X 9mm semi-automatic pistol om December 10, 2021, all for the two individuals. Cornell falsely certified on the ATF Form 4473 for these purchases that he was the true buyer of the firearms when he knew he was buying them for someone else.

Cornell is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Owen Reynolds 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. 3:23-cr-60. 

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mark William Bailey, 50, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to theft of government monies, admitting he stole approximately $451,237.51 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 10, 2020, Bailey was the sole owner and president of RMR Delivery Service Inc. when he obtained an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for $150,000. The EIDL program was created by the CARES Act for eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EIDL proceeds can only be used on certain permissible business expenses, which can include payment of fixed business debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other business-related expenses that could have been paid had the COVID-19 disaster not occurred.

Bailey sought two modifications of his EIDL, increasing the loan amount first to $500,000 and then to $2 million. To obtain each modification, Bailey certified that RMR Delivery Service Inc. would use all loan proceeds solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic. Bailey admitted that he fraudulently used approximately $403,768.04 of the EIDL proceeds for his own personal benefit from about March 1, 2022 through about October 20, 2022. Among other personal uses, Bailey purchased a garage and a personal vehicle with the EIDL proceeds. 

In or around April 2020, Bailey also applied for and received a $110,032 loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Also created by the CARES Act for qualifying small businesses, PPP loans were for job retention and certain other business expenses. Bailey admitted that he misappropriated $47,469.47 of the PPP loan to pay his personal mortgage on or about June 4, 2020.

Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bailey also owes $451,237.51 in restitution.

“The CARES Act offered an emergency lifeline amid a devastating pandemic, and Mr. Bailey saw this as an opportunity to enrich himself at the expense of taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the thorough, collaborative and all-hands-on-deck approach by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).”

“NASA OIG is committed to investigating and holding accountable those who improperly obtain and use government loans,” said Special Agent in Charge Adelle Harris of the NASA Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Field Office. “I am proud of the exceptional teamwork of our federal and state law enforcement partners, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Fraud Task Force, and the USAO for the Southern District of West Virginia which resulted in today’s guilty plea.”

“We are committed in our office to protecting taxpayer dollars and holding those accountable who commit fraud,” said West Virginia State Auditor J.B. McCuskey. “The pandemic was challenging for everyone, especially our small businesses, and these loans were to help businesses survive, but unfortunately, we know that some took advantage of the billions of dollars flowing out of Washington. I would like to commend the investigative work by this task force, including our specialized accountants, who are cracking down on this abuse and returning taxpayer dollars to the people.”

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case.

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. 5:23-cr-131. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Darrin Alonzo Miller, 41, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for transfer of obscene material to a minor under the age of 16. Miller must also register as a sex offender.

A federal jury convicted Miller after a one-day trial on June 13, 2023. Evidence at trial proved that on June 22, 2020, Miller sent a letter through the United States mail to a 14-year-old girl while he was an inmate at the Parkersburg Correctional Center. In the letter, Miller described in graphic detail he and the minor female engaging in sexual intercourse upon his release from incarceration.

“Darrin Alonzo Miller engaged in reprehensible conduct, seeking to pressure a minor to have sex with him, and this sentence serves to protect his victim as well as the public,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the West Virginia State Police for investigating this case, and I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Francesca C. Rollo and our trial team for securing the guilty verdict.”

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.

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. 2:21-cr-261.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jancent M. Powell, 39, of Tullahoma, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to failure to pay child support obligations. Powell admitted that he owes over $10,000 in court-ordered child support.

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 made only six of the monthly payments, all in 2014.

Powell is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine. Powell also owes restitution for the over $10,000 in unpaid child support, which includes interest.

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).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin 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-100. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathon Dewayne Eads, 37, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 7, 2022, Eads sold a half-pound of methamphetamine for $1,500 to a confidential informant at a Garrison Avenue residence in Charleston.

Eads is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

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

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney J.C. MacCallum is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-115. 

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Zackery Dale Jenkins, 30, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2023, Jenkins sold a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant in a Beckley residence. Jenkins admitted to that transaction and to selling controlled substances containing fentanyl to the confidential informant on four other occasions in the Beckley area.

On June 1, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jenkins’ residence and seized additional quantities of fentanyl and several firearms. Jenkins admitted that he intended to distribute the fentanyl.

Jenkins is scheduled to be sentenced on December 29, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

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

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-90. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Todd Tyler Snead, 57, of Waynesboro, Virginia, was sentenced today to 10 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, beginning in October 2022, Snead transported 1 pound per month from West Virginia to Virginia as part of the conspiracy. On March 14, 2023, Snead traveled from Virginia to St. Albans to obtain 4 pounds of methamphetamine from a co-defendant. Law enforcement officers followed Snead back to a hotel in Cross Lanes, where they searched the trunk of his vehicle, found the methamphetamine and arrested him.

Snead has a criminal history that includes a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on December 13, 2006.

Snead is among 30 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 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.

Nineteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent 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.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Andre Dewayne Williamson, also known as “A3,” 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, for five counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

A federal jury convicted Williamson of the offenses following a three-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that Williamson sold quantities of fentanyl to a confidential informant on five occasions in Charleston between July 5 and July 25, 2022. Williamson possessed a pistol in furtherance of the July 5, 2022, drug transaction.

Williamson has a long criminal history with eight prior convictions including voluntary manslaughter on July 30, 2018, unlawful assault with a firearm and wanton endangerment on February 6, 2008, being a felon in possession of a firearm on March 4, 2013, and on August 6, 2013, and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, cocaine, on September 9, 2018, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court. Williamson was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Kanawha County Magistrate Court on August 6, 2013. Williamson was on parole at the time of his current offense.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Williamson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions when he chose to arm himself with a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking to protect his controlled substances, his proceeds and himself.

Williamson’s criminal history also includes violent offenses involving firearms. In separate incidents, Williamson fatally shot one individual, shot and wounded another individual in the leg, and shot at a third individual who was killed during that altercation.

“Andre Williamson is a longtime criminal, and has a history of not only violent offenses but also drug-dealing offenses. He was sentenced today for dealing fentanyl, which I think is one of our greatest threats we’re currently dealing with, both in our state and our society,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This case is the result of excellent investigative work by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Charleston Police Department, with vital assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Joshua Hanks and our trial team for prosecuting the case and securing guilty verdicts on all six counts against Williamson.”

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-154.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –Judy Ann Goodman, 32, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was sentenced today to two 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, Goodman conspired with Western Regional Jail inmate Corey Michael Perkins during phone calls to assist the smuggling of a package of suboxone and methamphetamine into the jail. The phone calls were recorded by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Goodman admitted that she helped to pay a woman working at the jail to transport the drugs into the jail. Goodman further admitted that Perkins instructed her on what to do with the package and arranged a meeting between Goodman and the jail worker.

Investigators intercepted the package when the jail worker attempted to deliver it. Goodman admitted that the package contained 126 Suboxone strips and approximately 7.3 grams of suspected methamphetamine. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the controlled substances were buprenorphine and 6.8 grams of methamphetamine.

Perkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine. The jail worker, Bryanna Danielle Kern, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone. Both await sentencing.

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 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, Courtney L. Finney, and Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.

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

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. Vickie Lynn Parsons, 47, of Ravenswood, pleaded guilty today to four counts of wire fraud. Parsons admitted to a scheme that defrauded an elderly individual in her care of approximately $31,000.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about December 1, 2021, to on or about January 26, 2022, Parsons secretly gained access to the individual’s bank account information to fraudulently conduct numerous online transactions to pay for goods and services for herself and her friends. Parsons used the individual’s bank account to make numerous payments to an electric utility, Parsons’ credit card accounts, her wireless account, and another individual’s department store credit card.

Parsons is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 80 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Parsons also owes at least $31,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys  Erik S. Goes and Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-73. 

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join with law enforcement officials on Friday, September 1, 2023, to announce the final outcome in a case that targeted the illegal trafficking of over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The press conference will follow the final sentencing hearings in the case, scheduled for 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. This media advisory will be updated with the time of the press conference upon the completion of both hearings.

Thompson will be joined by officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and other law enforcement partners.

WHAT: Announcement of the successful conclusion of United States v. Jones et al (5:22-cr-46).

WHERE: The Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse and Federal Building, 110 North Heber Street, Beckley.

WHEN: Friday, September 1, 2023. Time TBA.

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.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for leading a scheme to traffic over 140 firearms from southern West Virginia to Philadelphia. Shyheem Woodard-Smith, also known as “Peanut” and “Nut,” 23, of Philadelphia, was also sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his key role in the gun trafficking conspiracy.

A federal jury found Jones guilty after evidence at trial proved he oversaw a conspiracy that recruited straw purchasers in the Beckley area to buy firearms that Jones and his co-conspirators took back to Philadelphia to sell for profit. Jones was convicted of interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license and conspiracy to commit money laundering on December 16, 2022, after five days of trial.

From in and around June 2020 to in and around July 2021, Jones and his co-conspirators trafficked over 140 firearms. Over 50 of the firearms were recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and were connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.

“Bisheem Jones brought deadly and tragic results to the streets of Philadelphia and elsewhere,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Today’s sentence reflects the harm Jones caused and offers a warning to others who seek to traffic in firearms illegally and bring violence to our communities.”

Jones selected the firearms the straw purchasers bought and provided the money to purchase them. Jones also paid the straw purchasers with money or drugs to buy the firearms. The straw purchasers falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms when they knew they were purchasing them for Jones and his interstate gun trafficking conspiracy.

“ATF’s mission is to protect the public by keeping firearms out of the hands of violent criminals,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division, which includes West Virginia. “One of the ways we accomplish our mission is by identifying the sources of crime guns and taking swift action before those firearms can be used to cause harm. This case demonstrates how criminals illegally acquire firearms, and how ATF and our law enforcement partners work together to disrupt these networks. I commend the investigative team and the United States Attorney’s Office for their diligent work and for their commitment to keeping our communities safe.”

The federal money laundering statutes Jones violated served to significantly increase his federal prison sentence. This investigation is unique in that agents were able to identify financial transactions that promoted Jones’ firearms trafficking enterprise and violated federal money laundering statutes. In particular, from approximately June 2020 to approximately July 2021, Jones used peer-to-peer payment apps to transfer money to various individuals in Philadelphia and Beckley. Those funds were ultimately used to purchase firearms in the Southern District of West Virginia. The firearms were then transported from Beckley to Philadelphia, where they were sold for a profit. That money was used to purchase more firearms in the Beckley area. Jones used his bank account to pay the straw purchasers and deposit proceeds from selling the firearms in Philadelphia.

“The investigative prowess of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners disrupted the financial flow of funds supporting illegal firearms trafficking,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Washington, D.C. Field Office. “IRS-CI is committed to the dismantling of criminal networks that pose a threat to public safety.”

Woodard-Smith played an instrumental role in the firearm trafficking conspiracy, traveling from Philadelphia to Beckley with Jones to oversee the purchase of firearms at Beckley-area stores. Woodard-Smith also encouraged his fellow traffickers to obliterate the serial numbers of the firearms before putting them on the street.

Woodard-Smith pleaded guilty to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Woodard-Smith is among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. Jones and Woodard-Smith are the final defendants to be sentenced. Other convicted defendants include:

• Denise Johnson, 26, of Beckley, sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license;
• Donte Webster, 23, of Beckley, sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for making false statements in acquisition of firearms;
• Derrick Woodard, also known as “D,” 27, of Philadelphia, sentenced to two years in prison for interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license;
• Terri Lawhorn, 29, Fayetteville, sentenced to two years in prison for making false statements in acquisition of firearms;
• Hassan Abdullah, also known as “San,” 28, of Philadelphia, sentenced to one year and six months in prison for interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license;
• Maurice Johnson, 37, of Mount Hope, sentenced to one year in prison for interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license; making false statements in acquisition of firearms; and
• Brandon Lawson, 33, Oak Hill, sentenced to nine months in prison for transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentences.

Thompson commended the excellent investigative work by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Philadelphia Police Department. Thompson also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew and the office’s trial team.

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-46.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Iglesias McEntyre, 35, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a weapon by an inmate of a federal prison.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 14, 2022, McEntyre failed to clear a metal detector after numerous attempts. An FCI Beckley staff member conducted a visual search of McEntyre and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in McEntyre’s underwear. The shank was a piece of metal approximately 5 3/4 inches long, sharpened to a point, with a toothbrush for a handle and thread wrapped around the handle to secure it. McEntyre admitted to possessing the shank, and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

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 No. 5:23-cr-50.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Laquenta Lowe, 46, of Beckley, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $8,954.76 in restitution for conversion of public money exceeding $1,000. Lowe admitted to stealing at least $7,978.91 in federal funds while employed by the Raleigh County Housing Authority (RCHA).

According to court documents and statements made in court, Lowe was chief financial officer and accountant for the RCHA from July 1, 2018 through May 31, 2019. Lowe was executive director of the RCHA from June 1, 2019, through April 30, 2021. During this time, RCHA administered programs that used federal funds including the Section 8 income-based rent subsidy program. RCHA kept the federal funds it received from the United States Department and Urban Development (HUD) in RCHA’s primary operating account at a West Virginia bank.

Lowe used her positions at RCHA to steal at least $7,978.91 in federal funds that HUD had disbursed to RCHA and knowingly converted the funds to her personal use and without authorization. Lowe admitted to receiving at least $6,728.82 of that amount in overtime compensation that she should not have received. Lowe further admitted to receiving at least $660.68 in travel-related expenses reimbursements that she should not have received for RCHA-related travel. Lowe also admitted to using a RCHA credit card issued to her to purchase a $199.99 smart watch for her personal use and without authorization.

“Laquenta Lowe abused a position of trust and stole from a program that provides critical services to some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Our office is committed to prosecuting fraud of this nature to the fullest extent possible.”

Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).

"HUD OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of federal housing programs and bringing justice to those who abuse HUD programs for personal gain," said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable bad actors and protect the programs that HUD beneficiaries rely on."

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Kristin Scott prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-7.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Justin Allen Bowen, 41, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about August 2022 to in or about December 2022, Bowen conspired with others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine throughout Kanawha County. Bowen was responsible for selling or possessing with intent to sell nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine during the course of the conspiracy. Bowen would receive several pounds of methamphetamine at a time from his supplier, and distribute it to several of his customers.

On December 5, 2022, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at locations where Bowen had delivered methamphetamine the night before and seized a total of approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine found in three locations. Some of this methamphetamine was located in a safe within his bedroom, along with several firearms and more than $70,000 in cash.       

Bowen is among 30 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 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.

Nineteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent 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.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kristen Naylor-Legg, 30, of Gauley Bridge, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 18. Naylor-Legg must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on two separate occasions in June 2020, Naylor-Legg provided her 17-year-old female relative to Larry Allen Clay Jr., so he could engage in sexual intercourse with the minor. At the time, Clay was an employee of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the Chief of Police for the Gauley Bridge Police Department. Naylor-Legg admitted that on the first occasion she was paid $100 by Clay. On the second occasion, Naylor-Legg indicated that Clay had agreed to pay her $50 in exchange for sexual intercourse with the minor but ultimately did not give her the money.

After four days of trial, a federal jury convicted Clay, 57, of Fayetteville, of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor via coercion, sex trafficking of a minor via coercion, and two counts of obstruction of justice. Evidence at trial proved that Clay twice arranged with Naylor-Legg to have sexual intercourse with the minor, sought to persuade Naylor-Legg to lie to law enforcement about the incidents, and also asked a law enforcement officer if his criminal conduct could be covered up.

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 and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Monica D. Coleman prosecuted the case.

Members of the public are urged to report suspected instances of child sex trafficking through a toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or online at www.ice.gov/tips.

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. 2:21-cr-62.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert Anthony Thomas, 47, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography. Thomas must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from about June 1, 2020, through about August 23, 2022, Thomas made over 105,000 digital media files of child pornography available to others by using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Thomas admitted that he knew the digital media files contained child pornography and would be downloaded by others. Thomas further admitted that the digital media files included a video file of a prepubescent female engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

On August 23, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Thomas’ residence and seized electronic devices including a computer and an external hard drive. Thomas told the officers that he worked as a custodian at a local elementary school. Thomas has since been terminated from that position. Thomas also told officers that he routinely ran a scrubbing program on his electronic devices to delete their data, and provided the search terms he used to find sexually explicit images of minor females.

A forensic analysis of the electronic devices revealed over 37,000 digital media files of child pornography. Thomas admitted that many of these images and videos depict prepubescent minors, including infants and toddlers. Thomas further admitted that several of the images and videos depict 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).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-70.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gregory Alan Haston II, 39, of Scott Depot, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 2, 2023, Haston was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a law enforcement officer in the St. Albans area. During a search of the vehicle, the officer seized a bag that he found on the floor near Haston’s feet. Haston admitted that the bag contained approximately 76 grams of fentanyl, which he possessed with the intent to distribute.

Haston is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, 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 St. Albans Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin 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-136. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Scott Jeremy Savage, 46, of Nitro, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 17, 2022, and March 9, 2023, Savage conspired with others to distribute quantities of fentanyl while living in Putnam County. Savage admitted to purchasing fentanyl from a co-defendant who lived in the Charleston area and to arranging transactions with this co-defendant by cell phone. Savage further admitted that the co-defendant often fronted him the fentanyl and he would pay the co-defendant back after he sold it.

On October 17, 2022, Savage sold approximately 2.23 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at his residence. On October 18, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Savage’s residence and seized approximately 2.93 grams of fentanyl, 2.2 grans of methamphetamine, and a loaded Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

On January 27, 2023, Savage exchanged phone calls and text messages with the co-defendant to arrange the purchase of a one-quarter ounce of fentanyl. Savage admitted that he believed he would have an easier time mixing that quantity with cutting agents to increase its volume and maximize his profits. Savage further admitted that he agreed with the co-defendant that he owed $445 from prior fentanyl transactions.

During a phone call the next day, Savage told the co-defendant that customers had complained about the fentanyl he had purchased the day before and asked the co-defendant to provide stronger fentanyl. Savage admitted that the co-defendant agreed to provide him with 4 to five grams of fentanyl. On March 9, 2023, Savage sold approximately 1.3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Putnam County gas station.

Savage is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2023, 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.

Savage is among 30 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 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.

Nineteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent 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. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Leslie Russell Burney, 36, of Groveport, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 20, 2021, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Burney on Interstate 77 in the area of Ripley, West Virginia. After the officer approached the vehicle and asked for his driver’s license, Burney drove off in an attempt to flee. Officers pursued Burney’s vehicle until he stopped off of the interstate and fled on foot with a red backpack from his vehicle. Officers located and captured Burney, and seized the backpack. Burney admitted that the backpack contained more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Burney further admitted that he was going to receive payment to deliver the drugs in the backpack, and fled the traffic stop because he did not want the drugs to be discovered.

Burney is scheduled to be sentenced on December 5, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Alexander A. Redmon are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-91. 

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Darrail Antoine Pulley, 24, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 17, 2023, Pulley sold approximately 1.39 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in an alley behind a residence on the 1800 block of Ninth Avenue in Huntington.

Pulley is scheduled to be sentenced on November 27, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-41. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Duncan, 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.

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 depicted 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 depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female.

Duncan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Duncan must also register as a sex offender.

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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Francesca C. Rollo and Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.

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

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

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brandon Ellis Gates, 37, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a mixture containing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 12, 2022, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Gates on Interstate 77 in Jackson County. Gates admitted to possessing approximately four pounds of methamphetamine found during the officer’s search of the vehicle. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substance was crystal methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” and was 93 percent pure.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshals Service and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and J.C. MacCallum 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-146.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Steven Reger, 47, of Morgantown, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 23, 2021, Reger sold approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant near a garage in Parkersburg. Reger admitted to selling the methamphetamine to the informant and receiving $5,000 as well as $10,000 from prior drug deals from the informant.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Negar M. Kordestani 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-196.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – William Lawrence Bryant, 33, of Fayetteville, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography. Bryant must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 1, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bryant’s residence and seized multiple digital media devices including computers, cell phones, and external hard drives. A forensic analysis of the seized devices revealed over 17,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including 20 images of child pornography that Bryant produced himself.

Bryant told the officers that he downloaded and distributed child pornography on various internet platforms and websites for several years. Bryant admitted that the digital media devices were his and contained images and videos showing prepubescent minor male children subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Bryant further admitted that the child pornography he possessed included a video of a male toddler being sexually assaulted by an adult male.

A photograph on one of the seized cell phones depicts Bryant naked with a minor male child who was asleep and in underwear. Bryant admitted to taking the photograph and further admitted that the minor male child was younger than 12 years old.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, and the FBI Baltimore field office.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe 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. 2:22-cr-112.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Vada Leann White, 32, of Big Creek, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 1, 2021, White was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a law enforcement officer in the Jeffrey area of Boone County. The officer searched the vehicle and found seven bags containing a total of approximately 139 grams of methamphetamine. The officer also found $3,436 on White’s person and in the vehicle. White told the officer that she possessed the methamphetamine and intended to sell it.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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-142.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Galen Flowers, 40, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Flowers’ St. Albans home and at an adjoining property on which Flowers admitted he had been storing some of his property and other belongings, including several cars. Officers seized over 1,300 grams of methamphetamine and quantities of other controlled substances, including fentanyl, in connection with the search. Officers also seized 21 firearms and a stolen and loaded Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which Flowers had obtained in an exchange for drugs. 

Flowers has a long criminal history that includes two prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, both in Putnam County Circuit Court, on September 5, 2008, and October 13, 2009.

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

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Negar M. Kordestani 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-131.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terry Dwayne Jones, 34, of Macomb, Michigan, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 15, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jones on Interstate 77 near Ripley. Officers searched the vehicle and found one bottle of pills in the glove compartment and a second bottle of pills in the trunk. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the nearly 1,000 pills found inside the two bottles contained a total of approximately 106 grams of fentanyl. The pills were mislabeled as Percocet rather than fentanyl. Jones admitted that he possessed the pills, knew they contained a controlled substance, and planned to distribute them.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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-137.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tevon O'Shea Vanhorn, also known as "Von," 28, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least June 2022 to on or about March 2023, Vanhorn obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl and distributed quantities of the controlled substances to several customers at multiple locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Vanhorn communicated with his customers by cell phone to arrange drug-related transactions, and knew that several of his customers redistributed the methamphetamine and fentanyl he sold them.

On February 21, 2022, Vanhorn attempted to mail a package containing approximately $74,835 from Charleston, West Virginia, to Detroit, Michigan, as part of the drug distribution conspiracy. Law enforcement officers intercepted and seized the package.

Vanhorn is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and J.C. MacCallum are prosecuting the case.

The case is a result of “Operation Into The Woods,” a 10-month investigation of drug trafficking in Kanawha and Boone counties. Vanhorn and several other individuals have been indicted including Toby Lee Graley, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl on August 1, 2023 and is awaiting sentencing. Law enforcement seized 120 grams of methamphetamine, four shotguns, and approximately $23,150 from Graley when he was arrested. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2-23-cr-44. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Billy Eggleston, 50, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Eggleston must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 26, 2020, Eggleston engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent female for the purpose of photographing such conduct. Eggleston admitted to using his cell phone to take a series of 62 photos of him engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the prepubescent female while she was sleeping. The sexually explicit photos were taken by Eggleston in his bedroom.

Eggleston transferred the images to his desktop computer. Eggleston admitted to possessing nearly 5,000 videos and images of child pornography on his desktop computer and a memory card on October 21, 2022. Eggleston further admitted that one of these images was of an adult male sexually assaulting a minor female between four and seven years old, and another image was of a minor female between two and four years old subjected to sexually explicit conduct by an adult male.

“To prey upon this child, Billy Eggleston gained the trust of her and her family and then betrayed that trust in a most abhorrent manner to fulfill his depraved fantasies,” United States Attorney Will Thompson said. “I commend the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) and the St. Albans Police Department, and the assistance provided by the Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) Children’s Advocacy Center.”

“Through his vile actions, Mr. Eggleston has proven to be a threat to the law-abiding residents of his community,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.  “The severity of his sentence displays the degree of danger that he presented. We cannot tolerate such a menace to prey upon the good people of our West Virginia neighborhoods. HSI Washington, D.C., along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue to detect, disrupt, and apprehend anyone who means to cause harm to the people that we have sworn to protect.”

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-3.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Troy Wilson Wheatley, 42, of Boone County, was sentenced today to five years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 30, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to reports of a shooting at Wheatley’s residence near Chapmanville. Officers encountered Wheatley and seized a Ruger, model Security-9, 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson, .22-caliber pistol. One firearm was in a holster on Wheatley’s hip and the other was in his back pocket. Wheatley admitted to possessing the firearms and further admitted to the officers that he had discharged a firearm when his nephew drove past the residence that morning.

On December 2, 2021, Wheatley was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a law enforcement officer in the Big Creek area of Logan County. Wheatley was wearing an empty pistol holster on his belt, and told the officer there was a firearm under the seat. The officer found a Beretta model 950 .25-caliber pistol under Wheatley’s seat. The officer obtained a search warrant for Wheatley’s residence that day and seized a SCCY model CPX-2 9mm pistol between Wheatley’s mattress.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Wheatley was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Nicholas County Circuit Court on February 3, 2006.

Wheatley’s long criminal history includes prior convictions for such other offenses as obstructing an officer, disrupting public service, petit larceny, possession of methamphetamine, possession of stolen property, threatening communications by electronic device, being a person prohibited from possessing firearms, and more than 10 separate counts of driving on a suspended/revoked license.

The Court granted an upward variance from Wheatley’s original sentencing range, citing several factors including his decades-long pattern of criminal conduct.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Lesley 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. 2:22-cr-225.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Corey Michael Perkins, 34, an inmate, pleaded guilty today to 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 another individual outside the jail during recorded phone calls about getting a package of suboxone and methamphetamine into the jail. Perkins admitted that he instructed the individual on how to prepare the package, paid an employee working at the jail to transport the package inside, and arranged a meeting between the outside individual and the employee. Perkins further admitted that he intended to distribute the suboxone and methamphetamine. The package was intercepted at the jail before it could be transported inside.

Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Perkins conspired with Judy Ann Goodman, also known as Judy Ann Eplion, and Bryanna Danielle Kern. Goodman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine on April 3, 2023. Goodman admitted to conducting the recorded jail phone calls with Perkins. Kern pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone on February 21, 2023. Kern admitted to conspiring with Perkins and Goodman while working as a kitchen employee at the Western Regional Jail. Goodman and Kern each await sentencing.

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 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 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Keefe and Courtney L. Finney 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. 3:22-cr-220. 

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Ampless Ray Lilly, 50, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 30, 2018, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Lilly in Hurricane. Lilly admitted to telling the officer that he had a gun and was a convicted felon. The officer found a Ruger 9mm pistol between the driver’s seat and center console.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Lilly knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for first-degree sexual assault in Lincoln County Circuit Court on January 22, 1993.

Lilly is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-9. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kevin Gerard Denson, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 30, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a report of shots fired on Leon Sullivan Way in Charleston. Officers encountered Denson exiting a vehicle in an alley near Jet Life Apparel. Officers found two firearms in the vehicle, a Dickinson, model XXPA, 12-gauge shotgun and a Smith & Wesson, model M&P 15, 5.56-caliber rifle. Each firearm was loaded with a high-capacity drum magazine.

Officers also found a bullet hole at the entrance to Jet Life Apparel, and obtained a search warrant for the store’s video surveillance system. The footage showed Denson carrying the two firearms and Jonathan Kennedy, 41, of St. Albans, running across the store while holding the shotgun following an apparent altercation outside. 

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Denson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of cocaine in Kanawha Circuit Court on June 12, 2013.

The video surveillance footage showed Kennedy and Denson possessed the firearms after Jamon L. Woodson fired a pistol in the direction of Jet Life Apparel following an apparent verbal argument. Officers recovered a spent 9mm casing from the street near where the pistol was fired.

Woodson was sentenced to five years in prison on July 20, 2023, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Kennedy was sentenced to three years in prison on August 1, 2023, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

“On a day when huge crowds were heading to the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta, Mr. Denson and Mr. Kennedy brandished firearms with large-capacity magazines after Mr. Woodson fired a pistol outside a downtown business in broad daylight. It is a miracle that no one was hurt,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department, and the quick law enforcement response that prevented this disturbing incident from escalating.”

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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. 2:22-cr-145.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Levi Rider, 19, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2022, Rider possessed videos on his cell phone depicting minors subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Rider admitted that he had downloaded the videos to his phone and further admitted that one of the videos depicted an adult male sexually abusing a prepubescent girl.

Rider is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Rider must also register as a sex offender.

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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is prosecuting the case.

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

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

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Daniel Satow, 33, of Davisville, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $21,238 in restitution for unlawfully obtaining unemployment benefits, including supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 20, 2020, Satow logged on to the WorkForce West Virginia website and applied for unemployment compensation. Satow admitted he was employed at the time and that he falsely claimed when he applied that he had not been gainfully employed since September 9, 2020, and that the coronavirus pandemic prevented him from working.

Satow’s fraudulent application was approved and he received a debit card loaded with unemployment compensation benefits through the mail at his Davisville residence on January 5, 2021. Satow admitted that he used the debit card to make purchases for himself while knowing he had obtained the benefits fraudulently.

Satow further admitted that he continued to access the WorkForce West Virginia website for 26 consecutive weeks and each time falsely certified that he remained entitled to unemployment compensation benefits. WorkForce West Virginia relied on Satow’s false answers and loaded additional benefits onto the debit card weekly. These benefits included supplementary funds provided by the FPUC program. Satow admitted that he continued to use the debit card to make personal purchases.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided for a temporary emergency increase in unemployment compensation benefits, referred to as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC). Although these benefits are administered by the states, they are funded in part by the federal government.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell prosecuted 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-56.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jaiesha Keyshara Morris, 18, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, for several months prior to March 10, 2023, Morris kept methamphetamine belonging to another person at her residence as part of a conspiracy with other people to distribute methamphetamine. Morris would communicate with the person who was selling the methamphetamine by cell phone to arrange drug-related transactions. On March 10, 2023, this person asked Morris to deliver an ounce of methamphetamine to an individual. Morris drove to the Sheetz in South Charleston and delivered the methamphetamine to the purchaser as instructed.

Morris is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and J.C. MacCallum are prosecuting the case.

The case is a result of “Operation Into The Woods,” a 10-month investigation of drug trafficking in Kanawha and Boone counties. Morris and several other individuals have been indicted including Toby Lee Graley, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl on August 1, 2023 and is awaiting sentencing. Law enforcement seized 120 grams of methamphetamine, four shotguns, and approximately $23,150 from Graley when he was arrested. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2-23-cr-44. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aalik Wilsher, 26, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $20,459.33 in restitution for receipt of stolen money. Wilsher admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $20,459.33 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 14, 2021, Wilsher applied for a PPP loan for his purported business, “Aalik Wilsher.” Wilsher admitted that he falsely certified that “Aalik Wilsher” was established in 2019 and was in operation on February 15, 2020. Wilsher further admitted to submitting a false IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, to state that “Aalik Wilsher” had earned $97,587 in gross income during 2019.

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 Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses applying for PPP loans had to certify that the business was in operation on February 15, 2020, and were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.

Wilsher’s fraudulent PPP loan application was approved and $20,330 was electronically deposited from a financial institution in Florida to Wilsher’s bank account in Charleston, West Virginia, on April 30, 2021.

Wilsher later applied to have the fraudulent PPP loan and $129.33 in accrued interest forgiven. Wilsher admitted that he had not spent the loan proceeds on permissible business expenses. The SBA forgave Wilsher’s fraudulent PPP loan on December 13, 2021.

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

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted 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-51.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Thomas Matthew Blankenship., 39, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 11 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm  in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 10, 2022, law enforcement officers served arrest warrants on Blankenship as he left a residence in the Pecks Mill area of Logan County, West Virginia. After he was placed in handcuffs, officers found approximately 95 grams of fentanyl, 11 grams of methamphetamine, and a loaded 9mm pistol on his person. Blankenship admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs, and that he possessed the pistol in order to protect himself, the drugs, and any money he made from selling the drugs. 

Blankenship has a long criminal history that includes nine prior felony convictions, including for felonious assault, improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, tampering with evidence, trafficking in heroin, felon in possession of a firearm, and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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-197.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Six inmates each pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison, the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, in separate incidents.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the following inmates each admitted to possessing a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” at FCI Beckley on the following dates:

• Rico Salguero, 40, on December 9, 2022;
• Lawrence Anderson, 27, on December 10, 2022;
• Jamal Brooks, 26, on January 7, 2023;
• Denardo Graham, 32, February 12, 2023;
• Jarvis Burl, 26, on February 22, 2023; and
• John Durant, 34, on April 10, 2023.

Salguero, Brooks, Burl and Durant are scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2023. Anderson and Graham are scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2023. Each 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 cases.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:23-cr-105 (Salguero), 5:23-cr-106 (Anderson), 5:23-cr-103 (Brooks), 5:23-cr-107 (Graham), 5:23-cr-101 (Burl), and 5:23-cr-102 (Durant). 

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Denise Johnson, 26, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Johnson admitted to her role in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in or around June 2020, Johnson was a native of Philadelphia living in West Virginia when she introduced her friends and acquaintances in the Beckley area to a group of Philadelphia-based firearms traffickers led by Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh.” From in or around June 2020 to in or around July 2021, Jones and his co-conspirators obtained firearms bought by straw purchasers in the Beckley area that they took back to Philadelphia to sell for profit.

Johnson participated in the conspiracy throughout its duration, helping to organize and recruit straw purchasers who bought the firearms trafficked by Jones’ ring. Jones or an intermediary told the straw purchasers which firearms to buy and provided the money for the purchases. Johnson admitted that she knew the recruited straw purchasers would falsely certify on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that they were purchasing the firearms for themselves when they knew they were buying them for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy.

Of the over 140 firearms trafficked by Jones and his ring to Philadelphia, over 50 were recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia. Those have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.

Johnson is among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. After five days of trial, a federal jury found Jones guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is awaiting sentencing and faces a  maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew 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. 5:22-cr-46.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kimberly Dawn Legg, 49, of Charleston, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Legg admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, for several months prior to December 5, 2022, Legg sold quantities of methamphetamine obtained from a supplier who usually delivered the methamphetamine directly to her Lotus Drive residence in Charleston. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted to handling the money when selling the methamphetamine to customers while co-defendant Larry Wayne Legg typically weighed out the amounts. Kimberly Dawn Legg further admitted that the supplier usually provided the methamphetamine without requiring full payment, with the understanding that he would be paid from the individual sale proceeds.

On December 4, 2022, the supplier delivered approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to Kimberly Dawn Legg’s residence. The next day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence and found the methamphetamine. Kimberly Dawn Legg admitted that she and Larry Wayne Legg intended to sell the seized methamphetamine.

Larry Wayne Legg, 55, of Charleston, was sentenced to five years in prison on July 6, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Kimberly Dawn Legg and Larry Wayne Legg are among 30 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 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.

Eighteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent 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-4.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shawn K. Bever, 45, of Craigsville, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2021, law enforcement officers investigating the illegal shooting of a bear encountered Bever outside his Craigsville residence. Officers saw an ATI .22-caliber pistol in Bever’s side-by-side all-terrain vehicle, parked on the property. Winchester .22-caliber ammunition was recovered from Bever’s pants pocket. Bever admitted to possessing the firearm and ammunition.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bever was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Nicholas County Circuit Court on November 14, 2011.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Police and the assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and 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. 2:22-cr-164.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Darrell Lamar Holcomb, also known as “Smiley,” 31, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and Nicole Christian Ball, 44, of Jackson, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Holcomb also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl,

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning approximately in or before 2019, Holcomb began supplying controlled substances including methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana to an individual living in the Oak Hill area of West Virginia. Holcomb or a courier would transport the controlled substances to the individual from the Detroit, Michigan area approximately once or twice per month. Holcomb usually provided the controlled substances on consignment, accepting payment after the individual sold them. Holcomb also provided cell phones to the individual that he was to use only to communicate with Holcomb.

In early December 2021, Holcomb negotiated with the individual to sell him approximately 5 pounds of methamphetamine and 3 kilograms of fentanyl along with approximately 2 kilograms of a cutting agent to mix with the fentanyl and increase the sellable amount. The individual was required to pay Holcomb $60,000 from a prior shipment as part of this drug deal.

Ball admitted that she was the courier for this transaction, delivering what she now knows was methamphetamine, fentanyl and the cutting agent to the individual in the Pea Ridge Road area of Oak Hill on December 12, 2021. Ball further admitted to taking what she believed to be $60,000 packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic from the individual. Law enforcement officers stopped Ball’s vehicle following the transaction and seized the money.

Holcomb and Ball are scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, 2023, and each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks 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. 2:22-cr-216. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tonja Oakes, 58, of Cross Lanes, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, admitting to defrauding the American Red Cross (ARC) while employed at its Cross Lanes office. Oakes agreed to pay of $21,943 in restitution as a consequence of her guilty plea.

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.

Oakes is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2023, 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 U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell 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-67. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Imeesha Bradley, 27, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to receipt of stolen money. Bradley admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $18,703  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 21, 2021, Bradley applied for a PPP loan for her purported business, “Imeesha Bradley.” Bradley admitted that “Imeesha Bradley” was never engaged in legitimate business activity and was not a registered business entity at the time she applied for the loan. Bradley further admitted that she falsely represented that her fictitious business received $89,772 in gross income during 2020.

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 Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses applying for PPP loans had to certify that the business was in operation on February 15, 2020, and were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.

A California lender approved Bradley’s fraudulent PPP loan application for $18,703, and transferred the funds to Bradley’s personal bank account on May 10, 2021. Bradley admitted that she withdrew $5,000 of the stolen funds that day and an additional $7,000 on May 14, 2021, each time from a bank branch in Nitro, West Virginia.

Bradley is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,00 fine. Bradley also owes $18,703 in restitution.

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell 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-112. 

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Kennedy, 42, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 30, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a report of shots fired on Leon Sullivan Way in Charleston. Officers found a bullet hole at the entrance of Jet Life Apparel and obtained a search warrant for the store’s video surveillance system. The video surveillance footage showed two firearms inside the store, a Dickinson model XXPA 12-gauge shotgun and a Smith & Wesson model M&P 15 5.56-caliber rifle. The video surveillance footage also showed Kennedy running across the store while holding the shotgun following an altercation outside.

Officers recovered both firearms from a vehicle in an alley near Jet Life Apparel. Each firearm was loaded with a high-capacity drum magazine.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Kennedy knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony convictions for interstate travel in aid of drug trafficking and use of a communication facility in furtherance of an unlawful act in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 3, 2014.

The video surveillance footage also showed Jamon L. Woodson, 40, of Dunbar, firing a pistol in the direction of Jet Life Apparel during the altercation outside the store and Kevin Gerard Denson, 36, of Charleston, carrying both firearms inside the store afterward. Woodson was sentenced to five years in prison on July 20, 2023, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Denson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on October 12, 2022, and is awaiting sentencing.

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

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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. 2:22-cr-145.

###