Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two men were sentenced to prison for roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County, with one also sentenced for participating in a foiled Fourth of July 2021 murder scheme.

Ramon David Alston, 42, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced today to 12 years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 or more grams of methamphetamine. Brian Dangelo Terry, 37, of Charleston was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 or more grams of methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2020 until at least September 28, 2021, Alston sold 1-pound and multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine from his Georgia residence to individuals including co-defendants from Charleston, West Virginia, as part of the DTO. Alston admitted that he knew these customers intended to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia.

Alston further admitted that co-defendants Terry and Jonathan Gregory Bush visited his residence separately on July 19, 2021, and that he sold Bush a kilogram of methamphetamine. Bush was later stopped by police and arrested after being found in possession of the methamphetamine. Alston admitted to having sold approximately 6 pounds of methamphetamine to Terry over the course of the DTO conspiracy.

Terry admitted to obtaining methamphetamine from Alston as well as from sources in Columbus, Ohio, for distribution in and around Charleston. Terry distributed more than 16 pounds of methamphetamine between March 2019 and August 3, 2021. Terry and co-defendant Treydan Leon Burks along with others pooled their money in order to obtain the drugs, used couriers to transport drugs and drug proceeds, and distributed the drugs to lower-level dealers and users.

Terry further admitted that he, Burks and co-defendants James Edward Bennett and Douglas Jonathan Wesley armed themselves at a Rand residence on July 4, 2021, and drove to Charleston’s West Side with the intent to murder someone. Alerted to the plot, police in marked cruisers converged on the area. The four men abandoned their vehicle in a Washington Street parking lot due to the increased police presence. Federal agents executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered four loaded firearms, including a Spike’s Tactical, Model SL15, .223-caliber pistol. Terry was aware that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following felony convictions for malicious wounding on February 25, 2005, and possession with intent to deliver marijuana on March 8, 2011, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

The case is part of a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution that resulted in the conviction of 17 individuals for various drug and firearm offenses in three separate indictments. Alston, Terry and 12 others pleaded guilty, including Burks and Bennett. Wesley and remaining co-defendants Timothy Wayne Dodd and Leo Antoine Smith were convicted at trial.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service, the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.

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. 2:21-cr-172.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Laura Danielle Jackson, 32, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to two counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

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

Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 42 years in prison, six years of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers 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. 3:22-cr-16.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Matthew Corban Hagy, 51, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 27 years and four months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for production and possession of child pornography. Hagy must also register as a sex offender.

A federal jury found Hagy guilty of one count each of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography on May 24, 2022. Evidence at trial established that Hagy traveled from Tennessee to Putnam County, West Virginia, as the caretaker for a man visiting family in Poca during the week of Christmas 2020. While there, Hagy took nude photographs of a 5-year-old boy and produced a graphic video of the boy. A search of Hagy’s phone revealed more than 700 additional images and videos of child pornography. In a statement given to police, Hagy admitted that he took a picture of the boy, but denied doing anything inappropriate.

“This individual did unspeakable harm to a child, and the sentence imposed today reflects that and makes sure that Hagy cannot prey on anyone else for a very long time,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This is an important example of excellent casework and coordination by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the South Charleston Police Department, and the United States Secret Service. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Julie White and R. Gregory McVey for prosecuting the case.”

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers 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. 3:21-cr-99.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kymoni Davis, also known as “Money,” 33, of Redford, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis admitted to possessing a Ruger & Co., model P95 DC, 9mm pistol on January 1, 2020. Davis had been ejected from a New Year’s Eve party at the Kulture Hookah Bar in Huntington on December 31, 2019.  Sometime after midnight, Davis returned to the bar and fired the pistol through the front door, injuring seven individuals. Davis then fled the scene. 

The shooting was captured on surveillance video, which along with statements from witnesses helped to identify Davis. Spent casings at the scene collected by law enforcement officers were later matched with a firearm seized by Charleston Police officers in an unrelated investigation. Davis was arrested in the Detroit area several months later and returned to West Virginia.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Davis knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for uttering and publishing in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Circuit Court on March 26, 2018, false pretenses with intent to defraud in Kent County, Michigan, Circuit Court on May 24, 2018, and delivering a check without account in Wayne County, Michigan, Circuit Court on January 25, 2019.

Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

“This conviction shows that this office will not tolerate this type of violence around Huntington or any other part of this district,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department for their investigative work and Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey for prosecuting the case.”

“Protecting the public is ATF’s top priority,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of ATF’s Louisville Division.  “Working with local police to provide federal resources, like the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, is one of the ways we accomplish our mission. This case demonstrates how violent offenders are removed from the street when they use firearms to commit violent crimes. I commend Huntington Police Department, ATF’s Charleston Field Office, and the prosecution team for their work to bring justice to the victims in this case.”

“The Huntington Police Department, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF and the Cabell County Prosecutor’s Office worked tirelessly to apprehend and prosecute Kymoni Davis,” said Huntington Police Chief Karl Colder. “I am thankful for the partnerships we have with these agencies that lead to such successful outcomes and protect Huntington from this type of gun violence and violent individuals. I also want to thank each of the individual detectives, agents and prosecutors who devote so much time and effort into these violent cases. We will continue working with the Cabell County Prosecutor’s Office to pursue state charges, which will include several violent felonies related to the events of that evening.”

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.

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. 3:20-cr-18.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Terrance Eric Foster, 45, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 15, 2022, law enforcement officers encountered Foster in a vehicle parked off of Morrow Road in Huntington. Foster was wearing an empty gun holster on his hip. Officers searched the vehicle and found a Smith & Wesson, 38 Special caliber revolver in the glove compartment. Foster admitted to possessing the firearm, which was later found to have been stolen.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Foster knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior convictions for domestic violence on a family or household member in Belmont County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on February 20, 2004, and for domestic violence on a family or household member in Belmont County, Ohio, Northern Division Court on October 9, 2002.

Foster is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2022, 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 West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. 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. 3:22-cr-133.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joshua Dean Sprague, 42, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 4, 2022, law enforcement officers in Parkersburg attempted to pull over a vehicle driven by Sprague, who fled at a high rate of speed onto Interstate 77. The chase led to Seventh Street before Sprague lost control of his vehicle and crashed into another vehicle. A mother and her daughter were in the other vehicle and were treated for injuries at the scene. After crashing his vehicle, Sprague fled on foot but was apprehended. Sprague was in possession of a Ruger, model LCP, .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Sprague knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for malicious assault on a correctional officer, escape from an institution and aggravated robbery in Harrison County Circuit Court on February 10, 2004.

Sprague is scheduled to be sentenced on December 20, 2022, 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 Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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-140.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Oluwabamishe Awolesi, 29, of Beltsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including 60 days on home detention, and ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution for receipt of stolen money.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Awolesi, also known as Oluwabamise Johnson, admitted to his role in a romance fraud scheme that defrauded more than 200 victims, many of them elderly, of at least $2.5 million. One victim of the scheme transferred a total of $90,000 into Awolesi’s checking account in September 2018. Awolesi kept $12,000 of the total and forwarded the rest to others involved in the scheme.

Awolesi, a citizen of Nigeria and the United States, lived in Huntington during his involvement in the scheme. Three indictments targeting the scheme allege that from 2016 to 2020, multiple defendants participated in a series of romance and other online scams designed to coerce vulnerable victims into sending money to various bank accounts controlled by them. The indictments describe romance scams as online schemes that target individuals looking for romantic partners, friendship, and other close personal and business relationships on dating websites and other social media platforms. Members of the fraud and money laundering conspiracy created profiles using fictitious names, locations, and images which allowed them to cultivate relationships with the victims. To carry out the schemes alleged in the indictments, victims were often led to believe that they were in relationships with U.S. residents working abroad. However, the investigation revealed that the individuals the victims viewed as their romantic partners were false personas created by members of the fraud and money laundering conspiracies.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), the West Virginia State Police, and the South Charleston Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and R. Gregory McVey prosecuted the case.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. 

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. 3:21-cr-68.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Curtis Leroy Hayes Jr., 47, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 10, 2021, law enforcement officers observed multiple suspected hand-to-hand drug transactions at a Fifth Avenue residence in Huntington involving an individual later identified as Hayes. When Hayes left the residence in a vehicle, officers initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. Hayes was arrested, and officers found approximately 6.4 grams of suspected heroin on his person. Hayes admitted to officers that he had been selling heroin for several months. Officers executed a search warrant at Hayes’ residence that day and recovered a loaded Bryco Arms, Jennings Model Nine 9mm pistol in his bedroom.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hayes knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his convictions for first-degree murder and second-degree murder in Cabell County Circuit Court on December 19, 1995, and for possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 27, 1995.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-251.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marquette Damon Eanes, 50, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Eanes admitted that he ran from law enforcement officers when they approached him on the 300 block of Olive Street in Huntington on December 12, 2019. The officers caught Eanes after a brief chase and recovered approximately 26 grams of methamphetamine from Eanes’ right vest pocket, a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol from his waistband, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver from his right pants leg. Eanes admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine and that he possessed the firearms to protect himself while selling it.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Eanes knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his conviction for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime on February 3, 1998, and his two convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, on June 28, 2004, and May 25, 2011, all in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams 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. 3:19-cr-306.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – David Keith Nutter, 55, of Summersville, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of firearms by a person previously convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 6, 2019, a law enforcement officer executed a search warrant at Nutter’s residence and found four firearms: a Rexio, SRL, .22-caliber revolver; a Harrington and Richardson 20-gauge shotgun; a Marlin, Model 25MN, .22-caliber rifle; and an Ithaca 20-gauge shotgun. Assorted ammunition was also recovered. Nutter admitted to possessing the firearms.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Nutter knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior convictions for domestic violence in Canton, Ohio, Municipal Court on July 14, 1998, and endangering children and domestic violence on a family or household member in the Stark County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on August 19, 2002.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman prosecuted the case with assistance from third-year law student intern Eric McLain.

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-142.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Steven Loren Mandrell, 44, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced today to two years and six 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 April 20, 2021, law enforcement officers in Parkersburg pulled over a vehicle driven by Mandrell because it displayed a license plate for a different vehicle. As an officer approached the vehicle, Mandrell was seen leaning toward the steering wheel as if he was concealing something underneath the driver’s seat. Officers searched the vehicle and recovered two firearms under Mandrell’s seat, a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol and a Bul Transmark 9mm pistol. Mandrell admitted to possessing the firearms.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Mandrell knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions: for delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful entry of a building in Wood County Circuit Court on January 27, 2010; and for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and failure to appear in Washington County, Ohio, Common Pleas Court on November 28, 2017.

Mandrell has a long criminal history across four states that totals 26 criminal convictions. His numerous misdemeanor convictions include battery, domestic battery, assault, prohibited possession of a firearm, fleeing from an officer, destruction of property, receiving or transferring stolen goods, contempt of court, and larceny.                 

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber 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. 2:21-cr-231.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Caila Vance, 27, of Charleston was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Vance sold more than 100 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a firearm to a confidential informant on February 8, 2022. The substance later tested positive as methamphetamine.

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 Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Steve Loew 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-57.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christopher Daniels, 52, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to filing a false federal income tax return, after reporting that his moving business had suffered losses when it had made a six-figure profit.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least 2013 through at least 2020, Daniels owned and operated Accedia Moving Services LLC. Daniels admitted that he falsely claimed or inflated business expenses to report a taxable income loss of $18,898 on his 2017 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Daniels admitted his business should have reported a profit of $187,771 for tax year 2017.

Daniels further admitted that he reported false information on his U.S. Individual Income Tax Return forms for tax years 2016 through 2019. Daniels reported taxable income losses totaling $164,491 for those tax years when he should have reported income totaling $410,459. The income taxes owed and due total $148,653.

Daniels admitted to failing to properly withhold $119,417.46 in employment taxes, including federal taxes and the employer-due portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. Daniels also admitted to failing to pay $12,018 in West Virginia Workers’ Compensation premiums on those unreported wages.

Daniels admitted that the total amount of tax liability that he wrongly withheld from state and federal entities is approximately $280,088.

Daniels is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Daniels also agreed that he owes $280,088 in restitution.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson 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-126.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert Sanders Jr., 30, of Ashland, Kentucky, was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana in Parkersburg and elsewhere.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Sanders admitted to supplying co-defendants Matthew Edward Depew and Carlo Ramsey with methamphetamine that Depew and Ramsey redistributed in the Parkersburg area between June 2021 and September 2021. During this same time period, another co-defendant, Floyd Dermonta Ramsey, supplied the DTO with fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana that originated in Chicago, Illinois.

Sanders pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The other defendants were sentenced to the following prison terms after pleading guilty to felony offenses:

• Carlo Ramsey, 57, of Chicago, Illinois, to nine years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Matthew Edward DePew, 31, of Zanesville, Ohio, to five years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Era Dawn Corder, 47, of Parkersburg, to three years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Floyd Dermonta Ramsey, 42, of Chicago, Illinois, to three years for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana;
• Ambera Roberts, 35, of Parkersburg, to one year and six months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

The case resulted from a nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” The investigation also yielded more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.

“This successful prosecution dismantled a drug trafficking organization that inflicted much harm on this community,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The dedication and teamwork evident in this case underscores our resolve to prevent overdoses and protect lives.”

Thompson commended the excellent investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force (PNTF), the Parkersburg Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Vienna Police Department, the Williamstown Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Boyd County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department, the Russell, Kentucky, Police Department and the Raceland, Kentucky, Police Department.

“I also commend Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe, who prosecuted the case,” Thompson said.

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

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. 2:21-cr-163.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeffrey Lee Ward Jr., 31, of Bellaire, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 4, 2022, Ward traveled from Ohio to Parkersburg, West Virginia, to meet an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl in order to engage in sexual activity, including sexual intercourse. Ward had been communicating with the individual via an instant messaging app. Ward used the app to send a photo of his genitalia to the individual. When Ward showed up at their arranged meeting location, he was arrested.

Ward is scheduled to be sentenced on December 5, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, five years to a lifetime 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 Investigation (FBI) West Virginia Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Parkersburg Police Department.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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. 2:22-cr-51.

###

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Torrey Hairston, 35, of Bluefield, West Virginia, was sentenced today to one year and nine 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 March 19, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence complaint at Hairston’s apartment. Officers encountered Hairston and found one firearm in Hairston’s pocket and a second firearm on the apartment floor. Hairston admitted to possessing both firearms, a Baretta Nano 9mm pistol and a Glock 26 9mm pistol.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hairston knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in Mercer County Circuit Court on March 27, 2017.

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-233.

###

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A McDowell County man was sentenced to prison and two other men pleaded guilty today in connection with an arson fraud scheme.

Douglas Vineyard, 36, of Welch, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud. Scott Meadows, 52, of Welch, and Christopher Gross, 44, of Bluefield, Virginia, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 1, 2019, Vineyard bought a house on Princeton Street in Bluefield, West Virginia, for $5,000 at the direction of Gross. On July 31, 2019, Vineyard bought an insurance policy on the house with assistance from Gross, stating that the house’s purchase price had been $50,000. The insurance coverage included $285,500 for the dwelling, $142,750 for the contents and $14,275 for other structures.

In early August 2019, Vineyard, Gross and Meadows devised a scheme with others to burn down the house and collect the insurance proceeds. On August 6, 2019, Meadows set fire to the house with the help of two other individuals who were each offered $500 for their assistance. The house was a total loss. On August 16, 2019, Vineyard faxed a Sworn Statement of Proof of Loss seeking $285,500 in insurance proceeds for the house. The insurance company spent over $13,000 investigating Vineyard’s false claim, ultimately denying it.

Gross and Meadows are scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2023. Each 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. Postal Inspection Service and the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-131.

###

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Terry Headen, 47, of Havaco, McDowell County, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 10, 2021, Headen sold an amount of a controlled substance represented to be heroin to a confidential informant in Havaco. Headen admitted that he possessed an AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle during the drug transaction.

Headen is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2023, and faces mandatory minimum of  five years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Unit.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-177.

###

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Alex Barrera, 26, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate of a federal prison.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 5, 2022, an FCI McDowell staff member conducting a random pat-down search found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in the waistband of Barrera’s pants. The object was a piece of metal about six and one-half inches long, with one end sharpened to a point and the other end wrapped in cloth and a shoelace as a grip. Barrera admitted to possessing the object and that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

Barrera is scheduled to be sentenced on December 5, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-151.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Five physicians pleaded guilty in connection with prescription practices at HOPE Clinic, a purported pain management clinic that operated in Beckley, Beaver and Charleston, West Virginia, and Wytheville, Virginia.

Four of the physicians each pleaded guilty to a felony count of aiding and abetting obtaining a controlled substance by fraud: William Earley, D.O, 66, of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Brian Gullett, D.O., 45, of Clarksville, Pennsylvania; Roswell Tempest Lowry, M.D., 88, of Efland, North Carolina; and Vernon Stanley, M.D., 79, of Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Mark Clarkson, D.O., 64, of Princeton, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of aiding and abetting the misbranding of a drug involved in interstate commerce.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2010 until June 11, 2015, practitioners associated with HOPE (Hitech Opioid Pharmachovigilance Expertise) Clinic prescribed thousands of oxycodone- and morphine-based pills to individual customers. In some cases, these prescriptions provided an average of four to seven pills per day. Several HOPE Clinic locations averaged 65 or more customers a day during a 10-hour workday with only one practitioner working.

Gullett, Early and Stanley each signed multiple oxycodone prescriptions for a HOPE Clinic customer at the Charleston location for both 30 milligram and 15 milligram pills. The prescriptions were issued between March 13, 2013, and November 18, 2013, for a total of 390 pills. Gullett, Early and Stanley admitted that the customer’s medical chart did not support these prescriptions and that the prescriptions were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional medical practice.

Lowry signed prescriptions for a HOPE Clinic customer in Charleston for 180 oxycodone pills at 20 milligram and 15 milligram doses on August 12, 2014. Lowry admitted that he intentionally did not read the customer’s chart to determine if those prescriptions were for a legitimate medical purpose. Lowry instead issued the same prescriptions as previous physicians had for the customer.

Gullett, Earley, Lowry and Stanley each admitted that these customers had multiple failed or abnormal drug screenings, reported being addicted to pain medication, bought pills on the street, and sold pills from their HOPE Clinic prescriptions to others. Gullett, Earley, Lowry and Stanley further admitted that they did not discuss the possibility of addiction or the need for addiction treatment with these customers.

Clarkson admitted to helping HOPE Clinic issue prescriptions after major retailers had stopped filling them and smaller pharmacies could not meet the supply and demand of Hope Clinic customers. Some local pharmacies were enlisted by Patients, Physicians and Pharmacists Fighting Diversion (PPPFD), which managed HOPE Clinic’s daily operations, to compound oxycodone and other Schedule II controlled substances for HOPE Clinic customers. Because of restrictions on compounding a commercially available drug, HOPE Clinic physicians were instructed to write prescriptions for compound oxycodone in milligram doses that were not commercially available.

Clarkson wrote compound oxycodone prescriptions for five different HOPE Clinic customers at the Virginia location between October 2014 and December 2014. All five prescriptions were filled at Adkins Pharmacy in Gilbert, West Virginia, for a total of 635 pills at 32 milligram or 16 milligram doses. Clarkson admitted that none of the five customers had a legitimate medical need for prescriptions at 32 milligram or 16 milligram doses, as there was no therapeutic difference between those doses and commercially available doses.

Adkins Pharmacy agreed to pay $88,085.73 in civil monetary penalties in 2020. The settlement agreement resolved allegations that Adkins Pharmacy violated the Controlled Substances Act by filling illegitimate compound opioid prescriptions issued by physicians affiliated with HOPE Clinic. Adkins Pharmacy also entered into a three-year compliance agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that imposes heightened reporting and oversight requirements and sanctions for non-compliance.

Gullett, Earley, Lowry, Stanley and Clarkson are scheduled to be sentenced on December 22, 2022. Gullett, Earley, Lowry and Stanley each face a maximum penalty of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Gullett, Earley, Lowry and Stanley have also agreed to surrender their Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) certificates of registration and to not oppose revocation of their registration to dispense controlled substances. Lowry and Stanley have further agreed not to apply for re-registration, while Gullett and Early have agreed not to apply for re-registration to dispense Schedule II controlled substances. Clarkson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.

Gullett, Earley, Lowry, Stanley and Clarkson were initially indicted in 2018 along with the owners, managers and other physicians associated with HOPE Clinic and PPPFD. The remaining defendants are awaiting trial. 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.

“These pleas show our office’s continuing effort to protect lives and prevent future overdoses through all means possible,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “A lot of effort has gone into this case.”

Thompson commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the West Virginia State Police, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Beckley Police Department, the Kentucky State Police, the Harrison County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department, and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (AHIDTA).

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Monica Coleman, Steve Loew and Owen Reynolds are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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. 5:18-cr-26, 2:22-cr-167, 2:22-cr-168, 2:22-cr-169, 2:22-cr-170 and 2:22-cr-176.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Matthew Ryan Hunt, 34, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to five 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 September 9, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence complaint at Hunt’s apartment. The officers forced entry after learning that shots had been fired inside the apartment. Hunt was found in a bedroom with a Smith & Wesson, model M&P 9 Shield, 9mm semi-automatic pistol next to him. Officers also found three additional firearms, and more than 5,800 rounds of ammunition, in a bedroom safe: an Anderson Manufacturing, model AM-15, semi-automatic rifle; a Savage, model Axis, .308-caliber semi-automatic rifle; and a Springfield, model XD45, .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

A woman was also in the apartment. Swabs taken from her face and hands and from Hunt’s face and hands all showed the presence of gunshot residue. Two spent shell casings found in the apartment were analyzed with assistance from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which indicated that the shells came from the firearm found next to Hunt.

Hunt admitted to possessing the four firearms. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hunt knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his felony conviction for breaking and entering in Wirt County Circuit Court on August 15, 2017.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger 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. 2:21-cr-267.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Johnathon Earl Hamrick, 33, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 4, 2021, law enforcement officers searched Hamrick’s residence and found more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine. Hamrick admitted to possessing the methamphetamine found at the residence as well as at a second location that Hamrick directed officers to in Wood County. Hamrick admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine to other people.

The methamphetamine seized from Hamrick was part of a 10-pound shipment that he received from John Michael Wells II. Hamrick admitted that he owed Wells $50,000 for that shipment. In October and November 2021, Hamrick conspired with Wells to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana that Wells obtained from California by mail. Hamrick admitted to selling the methamphetamine and marijuana and providing Wells with the cash proceeds. In turn, Wells would order more methamphetamine and marijuana from his suppliers with the proceeds.

Wells, 33, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana on March 31, 2022, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Hamrick is scheduled to be sentenced on December 5, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum of  10 years 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Parkersburg Police Department, and the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force (PNTF).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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-139.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Diana Cisco, 70, of Delbarton, was ordered today to pay $46,356 in restitution for theft of government benefits and making materially false statements to federal agents. Cisco was also placed on probation for five years, with the first six months to be served on home detention.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Cisco admitted that she received Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits on behalf of a deceased relative. Cisco knew that she was not entitled to receive these federal benefits. From June 2016 to April 2020, Cisco received $46,356 in federal benefits that she was not entitled to receive and converted those funds to her own use. Cisco further admitted that she did not have a legal right to these Social Security benefits once her relative passed away and that she knew her conduct in taking those benefits was wrong.

Cisco also admitted to providing false information to Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) special agents on March 4, 2022.  Cisco initially denied who she was, falsely claiming to be her sister, and further informed the agents that Diane Cisco would be in Columbus, Ohio for at least a month. The federal agents were able to uncover the falsehood through checking vehicle registration records and photographs of Cisco and obtaining statements from individuals who had recently seen Cisco. Confronted again, Cisco admitted that she was not telling the agents the truth and that she was, in fact, Diana Cisco.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General and the Social Security Administration.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-88.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Monique Casto, 37, of Kenna, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for fraudulently obtaining Social Security Administration benefits. Casto was also ordered to pay $41,166 in restitution.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Casto unlawfully collected $41,166 in Social Security Survivor’s Insurance Benefits payments on behalf of a child after losing custody of that child.

Social Security representative payee benefits are based on income and living arrangements. The benefits require that the SSA money received actually be used for the well-being of the child. They also create a duty on the recipient to report a change in living arrangements.

In March 2006, Casto began receiving benefits for the care of the child as the child’s representative payee. Casto failed to disclose that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources took custody of the child in June 2015. Casto also failed to disclose that her parental rights were terminated in May 2016. Casto unlawfully collected benefits while continuing to represent that the child lived with her and in her care from June 2015 through August 2019.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and SSA-Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for conducting the investigation.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White 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. 2:21-cr-137.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Concluding a case that secured convictions against all 19 defendants, an Ohio man and a Huntington woman were sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.

Brayan Luces, 25, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and five kilograms or more of cocaine.

Kimberly Ann Combs, 45, of Huntington, was sentenced to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from May to July 2021, Luces regularly shipped a minimum of 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 1 kilogram of cocaine to Huntington. The fentanyl and cocaine were transported by vehicle and provided to an individual on consignment. After the drugs were sold in the Huntington area, Luces would receive the drug proceeds, which were transported by vehicle to Columbus.

On July 22, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Luces’ residence in Columbus and seized 13 kilograms of fentanyl, 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately $26,484 in cash, two firearms, and various magazines and ammunition.

Combs admitted that she bought 104 30-milligram oxycodone pills from co-defendant William Raeshaun Byrd at his Huntington residence on July 23, 2021. When Combs left Byrd’s residence, law enforcement officers stopped her vehicle and recovered the oxycodone pills. Combs further admitted that she received oxycodone pills from Byrd on at least 10 other occasions in June and July 2021, and provided some of those pills to another individual.

This successful prosecution disrupted a conspiracy that distributed a variety of drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (also known as “crack”), oxycodone, and heroin. Law enforcement officers seized more than 47 pounds of fentanyl, 6.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.5 pounds of cocaine and 2 pounds of heroin as well as 14 firearms and more than $335,000 in cash.

“Tremendous dedication and teamwork removed massive volumes of deadly drugs from one of our most vulnerable and hard-pressed communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “It is critical that we target the supply side as we reduce overdose deaths and obstacles to recovery, and this is a prime example of an effective prosecution toward that end.”

"This investigation demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement at all levels to investigate and prosecute those who pollute local neighborhoods with dangerous drugs,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “This investigation effectively dismantled a multi-state drug trafficking organization that chose to set up operations in the Huntington area. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to rid the streets of these criminals and make our communities safer for all citizens.” 

The other defendants were sentenced to the following prison terms after pleading guilty to various felony offenses:

• William Raeshaun Byrd, 32, of Huntington, to 15 years for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine;
• Marvin Jerome Calvin, 41, of Huntington, to six years and six months for distribution of fentanyl;
• Mark Anthony Chandler, 31, of Huntington, to four years and four months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine;
• Donald Duane Cole, 52, of Huntington, to five years and 10 months possession with intent to distribute cocaine base;
• Robert Lamont Congleton, 42, of Huntington, to six months for being a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Reginald Jerome Hairston, 45, of Huntington, to four years and four months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine;
• Marcus Allen Johnson, 37, of Huntington, to two years using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense;
• Erica Antoinette Kirker, 35, of Huntington, to seven years and six months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl;
• Aaron Scott Midkiff, 27, of Huntington, to six years and five months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine;
• Edward Shane Midkiff, 35, of Huntington, to three years and one month for distribution of methamphetamine;
• Scott Lee Midkiff, 36, of Huntington, to 17 years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl;
• William Edward Nellons Jr., 38, of Huntington, to three years and 10 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl;
• Leonard Brandon Joe Rice, 36, of Louisa, Kentucky, to two years for using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense;
• Dennis Wayne Snyder, 32, of Hurricane, to seven years for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine;
• Ricky Lee Taylor, 58, of Charleston, to two years for using a telephone to facilitate a felony controlled substance offense;
• Christopher Leon Vest, 34, of Huntington, to 12 years and six months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine;
• Dillon Andrew Young, 29, of Sissonville, to two years and six months for use of a communications facility in committing, causing, and facilitating a felony controlled substance offense.

Thompson commended the investigative work of the FBI and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.

“I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans for their tenacious prosecution of this case that ensured guilty pleas from each and every defendant,” Thompson said.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences.

This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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. 3:21-cr-109 and 3:22-cr-7.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Treydan Leon Burks, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine after participating in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Burks obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from out-of-state for distribution in and around Charleston. Burks admitted to distributing between 3 and 11 pounds of methamphetamine between late 2020 and Sept. 28, 2021. Burks and co-defendant Brian Dangelo Terry pooled money in order to obtain the drugs, used couriers to transport drugs and drug proceeds, and distributed the drugs to lower-level dealers and users.

Burks further admitted that he, Terry, James Edward Bennett III and Douglas Johnathan Wesley armed themselves at Burks’ residence in Rand on July 4, 2021, and drove to Charleston’s West Side where they intended to shoot another man. Alerted to the plot, police in marked cruisers converged on the area. The four men abandoned their vehicle in a Lee Street parking lot due to the increased police presence. Federal agents executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered four loaded firearms, including an AR-style semi-automatic rifle with a drum magazine.

This case is part of a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution that resulted in 17 individuals being charged with various drug and firearm offenses in three separate indictments. Burks, Terry, Bennett, and 11 others pleaded guilty. Wesley, Timothy Wayne Dodd and Leo Antoine Smith were convicted at trial.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha and Putnam County Sheriff’s Departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Josh Hanks and Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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. 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-171 and 2:21-cr-211.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joe Butler, 34, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2021, Butler aided and abetted Rance McNeil in the distribution of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at McNeil’s residence in Charleston. In early 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted several controlled buys involving Butler and McNeil. On May 18, 2021, DEA agents executed a search warrant at McNeil’s residence and seized large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine as well as more than $20,000 in drug proceeds. Butler admitted to working as a runner for McNeil, who had been distributing bulk quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. McNeil was sentenced to 14 years in prison on March 15, 2022. 

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

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney 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. 2:21-cr-258.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson, along with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Scott Argiro and other law enforcement officials, will hold a press conference at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, to announce the successful prosecution of a drug trafficking organization (DTO).

WHERE:  Sidney L. Christie Federal Building

                   845 Fifth Avenue

                   Huntington, West Virginia

WHEN:     Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 12 p.m.

 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.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) announced today that Dr. Craig M. Morgan and Eye Consultants of Huntington Inc. have paid $907,074.64 to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.

From January 13, 2013 through April 12, 2019, Morgan routinely administered vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor injections into the eyes of patients to treat purported wet age-related macular degeneration (Wet-AMD) or other ophthalmological conditions for which treatment with such injections is indicated. These injections were not medically necessary because the patients in question did not have treatable Wet-AMD or any other condition that would have warranted the invasive treatment at the time it was administered.

“This settlement is important because it shows that this office, along with its federal partners, will aggressively seek re-imbursement when taxpayer money is spent wrongly,” Thompson said. “When a person goes to a medical provider, they expect the medical provider to treat them, not for the medical provider to figure out ways to enrich themselves.”

Morgan was identified by HHS-OIG as one of the top outliers for billing the Medicare program across all medical specialists in West Virginia, far exceeding the average of Medicare claims submitted by his peers. The vast majority of payments Morgan received from Medicare were for injections for purported treatment of Wet-AMD.  

“Providers who perform medically unnecessary procedures damage the trust of physician-patient relationships and exploit taxpayer-funded programs,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon. “HHS-OIG, and our law enforcement partners, are committed to working together to protect the integrity of federal health care programs.”

The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Health Care Fraud Task Force, which brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement partners from numerous agencies to coordinate intelligence sharing and prosecution of health care fraud impacting Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health care programs.

“I commend their investigative work and the handling of this case by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Neil, Matthew Lindsay, and Jennifer Mankins,” Thompson said.

 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.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Whitney Kathlyn Hershey, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for making false statements in the acquisition of firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Hershey bought a Glock, Model 27, .40-caliber pistol from a Huntington pawn shop on February 14, 2020. Hershey admitted to lying on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473. Hershey certified that she was the purchaser of the firearm when Hershey knew she was buying it for someone else.

Hershey further admitted to stating on the forms that she was the actual purchaser when she was not while buying firearms at Huntington pawn shops on three other occasions: a Ruger AR556 .300-caliber pistol on April 13, 2020; a Century Arms 7.62x39mm pistol on April 14, 2020; and a Taurus Model PT111, G2A 9mm pistol on July 1, 2020.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey 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-23.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Devonte Jamer McItyer, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, McItyer admitted to selling approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Huntington on October 2, 2019. Following the transaction, a law enforcement officer pulled over a vehicle in which McItyer was a passenger. The officer found approximately 142 grams of methamphetamine under McItyer’s seat. McItyer admitted to placing the drugs there for later distribution. McItyer further admitted to possessing a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol also found in the vehicle.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force, and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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. 3:21-cr-243.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Danny Griffy, 57, of Sylvester, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for  aiding and abetting the destruction of an energy facility, identified as a known mine located across Boone and Lincoln counties.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from April 8, 2018, until approximately April 17, 2018, Griffy aided the theft of specialized mine equipment from the known mine, resulting in more than $5,000 in damage. Griffy admitted to helping to steal equipment including pumps needed to treat water at the known mine site before it could be safely discharged into surrounding streams. Griffy further admitted to selling pieces of stolen equipment and receiving the proceeds.

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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson 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-14.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Austin Michael Light, 21, of Beaver, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 27, 2021, law enforcement officers received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding possible child pornography uploaded to a Google Mail account. The investigation led officers to Light. On August 18, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at Light’s residence and seized several electronic devices including Light’s cell phone.

A forensic analysis of Light’s cell phone revealed nine images and 49 videos of minors and prepubescent minors, including infants, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Several of the videos were of adults sexually assaulting prepubescent minors and of minors engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct. Light admitted to downloading the child pornography from the internet from January 2020 until at least August 18, 2021. Light further admitted to attempting to upload a video depicting child pornography to the internet on January 26, 2021.

Light is scheduled to be sentenced on December 22, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, five years to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Light must also register as a sex offender.

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.

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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. 5:21-cr-259.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Millard Patrick, 53, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of stolen property.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Patrick admitted to participating in a scheme with Mindy Turner, 51, to obtain vehicles totaling approximately $172,950 in value from car dealerships in Kentucky and West Virginia.

On June 28, 2021, Turner passed a bad check at a Louisville, Kentucky, dealership so she and Patrick could obtain a 2020 Ford Explorer with an approximate value of $53,500. Patrick told the sales person that he was a veteran United States Marshal.

The following day, Patrick and Turner transported the 2020 Ford Explorer to West Virginia and attempted to trade it at a Charleston dealership for a more expensive Ford F-250. Patrick told a dealership employee that he worked for the United States Marshals Service. Patrick further told the employee that an armed deputy U.S. Marshal would deliver a check in two days to pay for the trade in, and asked that employee to hold a personal check as collateral. Law enforcement officers were summoned to the dealership and Patrick and Turner were arrested.

On July 14, 2021, while out on bond, Turner and Patrick passed a bad check at a Hurricane dealership to obtain a Jeep Cherokee with an approximate value of $60,056.22. The following day, the pair passed a bad check at a Ripley dealership to obtain a new Ford Explorer with an approximate value of $59,393.48. That same day, Patrick and Turner attempted to obtain a Ford F-150 with an approximate value of $64,108.24 from a Hurricane dealership. They were turned away when the check did not clear.

Turner previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of stolen property on April 14, 2022, and was sentenced to one year in prison.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the assistance provided by the Charleston Police Department, the Hurricane Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisville, Kentucky, Police Department.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney 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-18.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brittany Ellen Flint, 33, of Fayetteville, was sentenced today to one year and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Flint admitted that she sold approximately 6.8 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Oak Hill on January 10, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, and the Oak Hill Police Department for conducting the investigation.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. imposed the sentence. Former Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe 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-35.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brandon Beverly, 46, of Whitesville, Boone County, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for attempting to damage the property of an energy facility, identified as a known mine located across Boone and Lincoln counties.

Beverly was found guilty by a federal jury following a two-day trial According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Beverly helped to steal specialized mine equipment from the known mine in May and June 2019, resulting in more than $5,000 in damage.

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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and 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. 2:21-cr-260.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Liteef Hughes, 41, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to the distribution of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, Hughes admitted to selling a quantity of crack to a confidential informant at his Beckley residence on April 28, 2022. On May 5, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hughes’ residence, and found quantities of cocaine and crack and $1,667. Hughes admitted to possessing the cocaine and crack, and further admitted that the $1,667 was proceeds obtained from drug trafficking. The investigation revealed that Hughes had distributed cocaine for approximately two and a half years.

Hughes is scheduled to be sentenced on December 22, 2022, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.

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. 5:22-cr-105.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Robert McKinney, 37, of Logan, West Virginia, was sentenced today to one year and nine months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failing to update his sex offender registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to statements made in court, McKinney knew he was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction on three counts of third-degree sexual assault in Doddridge County Circuit Court on September 4, 2012. McKinney admitted that he moved from Logan to Belpre, Ohio, in August 2020, without registering his out-of-state move with the West Virginia sex offender registry or registering with Ohio, in violation of the requirements of SORNA. McKinney was discovered living in Ohio on April 7, 2021, and arrested.

McKinney was on parole for his Doddridge County convictions when he moved to Ohio. He will serve the sentence consecutively with a prison sentence imposed following the revocation of that parole. McKinley also has two prior convictions in West Virginia for failing to comply with West Virginia sex offender registration requirements.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service, West Virginia Parole Services, and the West Virginia State Police.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-253.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Roy Bills, 57, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 24, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bills’ residence and found multiple firearms in the basement: a Diamondback 5.56mm AR-15 rifle; a Savage AXIS XP .308-caliber Winchester bolt-action rifle; a Derya Arms, model VR-80, 12-gauge shotgun; a GSG .22-caliber pistol; and a Beretta 96 .40-caliber pistol. Officers also located ammunition with the firearms. Bills admitted to possessing the firearms and ammunition.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bills knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute marijuana in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on November, 7, 2016.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe 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. 3:21-cr-60.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Chadd E. Worley, 44, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 8, 2020, Worley was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement in Beckley. Worley admitted to possessing approximately 23 grams of heroin found in the vehicle, and further admitted that he intended to distribute the heroin in and around Raleigh County.

Worley is scheduled to be sentenced on December 30, 2022, 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 Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Michigan.

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. 5:21-cr-112.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Dakota Anderson, 25,  of Beckley, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for possession of prepubescent child pornography. Anderson must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement investigators received multiple CyberTipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in May and August 2020 regarding possible child pornography uploaded using the MeWe social media platform and the Dropbox file hosting service. The resulting investigation traced the uploads to Anderson, and he was arrested. Anderson admitted to possessing approximately 85 videos and 715 images depicting minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of sadistic abuse. Anderson admitted that he received and transmitted these images and videos via the internet, and that he would view and store them on his cell phone.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson 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. 5:21-cr-145.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Toni Johnson, 58, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 27, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence. Johnson admitted to possessing approximately 82 grams of fentanyl found during the search, and further admitted that she intended to distribute it.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17, 2022, 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 Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Parkersburg Police Department and the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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-129.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Banabas Ganidekam, 25, of Ghana, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation, including eight months on home detention with electronic monitoring, and ordered to pay $156,073 in restitution for wire fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ganidekam admitted to his role in a romance fraud scheme. From June 2019 until at least May 14, 2020, Ganidekam received approximately $189,404 from at least 14 victims who were convinced to send the money for a variety of false and fraudulent reasons. The victims include a woman who in January and February 2020 sent thousands of dollars to a false persona she believed was her boyfriend.

Ganidekam admitted to receiving the fraudulent proceeds through his bank account in Ohio, where he lived at the time, via wire transfers and personal and cashier’s checks. Ganidekam further admitted to transferring a portion of these fraudulent proceeds to his bank account in Huntington, and to keeping some of the victims’ money for himself while forwarding some to others in the United States and abroad.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), the West Virginia State Police, and the South Charleston Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Gregory McVey and Kathleen Robeson prosecuted the case.

The public is encouraged to report potential online fraud activity or scams at https://www.ic3.gov.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).  This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps.  Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis.  Reporting is the first step.  Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses.  The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

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. 3:21-cr-0071.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man were sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Marvin Jerome Calvin, 41, admitted that he sold approximately 1.8 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington on July 6, 2020. Calvin further admitted that he distributed cocaine base, also known as “crack,” to a confidential informant on June 25 and 26, 2020. On August 6, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Calvin’s residence in Huntington and recovered approximately 1.6 grams of cocaine. Calvin admitted that he intended to sell the cocaine.

Calvin pleaded guilty to the distribution of fentanyl. The case is the result of a long-term investigation that disrupted the DTO and its distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and crack. All 18 defendants have pleaded guilty.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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. 3:21-cr-109.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Lee Graves II, 38, of Huntington, was sentenced today to six years and four 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 7, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Graves’ residence. Graves admitted that he possessed three loaded firearms found during the search: an Eagle Arms AR15 .223-caliber rifle; a Springfield XDS 9mm pistol; and a Taurus Judge Public Defender, .45/.410-caliber pistol.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Graves knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 22, 2014.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans 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 Nos. 3:21-cr-181.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Bobby James Mitchell, 42, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to six years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and violating his supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 11, 2021, a Hurricane Police officer pulled over a vehicle driven by Mitchell on Interstate 64 in Putnam County. Mitchell admitted that the officer found 499 pills containing approximately 54 grams of fentanyl in the vehicle. Mitchell further admitted that he intended to sell the fentanyl.

Mitchell was previously convicted of distributing heroin in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on November 21, 2016. Today’s prison sentence includes one year and one month for committing crimes while on supervised release.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Hurricane Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans 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-71.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – William T. Hurst, 45, of Morehead, Kentucky, was sentenced today to eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud. Hurst was also ordered to pay $35,218 in restitution to his eight victims.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Hurst falsely agreed to build pole barns for a pair of residents in Putnam and Jackson counties in March 2021. Hurst received checks as down payments totaling $10,186. Hurst admitted that he cashed or deposited the checks at area banks for his personal use, with no intention of building either barn.

Hurst further admitted that between February 22, 2021, and March 23, 2021, he similarly scammed six other property owners in Ona and Lesage, Cabell County; Charleston, Kanawha County; Coolville and Willow Wood, Ohio; and South Shore, Kentucky. Hurst agreed to build a pole barn or other structure in each instance, but never began any work or bought any needed supplies. These residents paid Hurst a total of $25,032, which he kept for himself. Hurst eventually stopped communicating with the victims.

“This office takes fraud against homeowners and other individuals seriously, and this case reflects our commitment to hold scammers accountable,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for conducting the investigation, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia Department of Revenue for providing assistance, and Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich for the case’s successful prosecution.”

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston 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-41.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Stefanie Marie Wells, 37, of Jasonville, Indiana, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identify theft, after obtaining or attempting to obtain $17,550 using stolen checkbooks and driver’s licenses at West Virginia banks.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Wells wrote a $2,700 check from a stolen checkbook and cashed it at a bank in Mount Hope by presenting a stolen driver’s license on October 19, 2020. Wells admitted to obtaining the stolen license and checkbook some time prior to October 19, 2020.

Wells further admitted to cashing three additional checks totaling $7,400 from the stolen checkbook on October 19, 2020. Wells used the same stolen driver’s license to cash the stolen checks at banks in Beaver and Beckley, and a different stolen driver’s license to cash the third stolen check at a Montgomery bank. Wells admitted to unsuccessfully attempting to cash a $2,650 check from the stolen checkbook while using one of the stolen driver’s licenses at a Charleston bank on October 20, 2020. Wells also admitted to attempting to cash a $2,300 stolen check at a Beckley bank and attempting to withdraw $2,500 by presenting a stolen driver’s license at a Summersville bank on November 23, 2020. Both attempts were unsuccessful.

Wells is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 32 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1,250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Park Police, the Beckley Police Department, and the Summersville Police Department.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich 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. 2:21-cr-191.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Dashea Lasal Thomas, 27, of Inkster, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to the distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Thomas admitted to selling approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Huntington on November 6, 2019. Thomas further admitted to selling approximately 22 grams of methamphetamine to an informant on October 28, 2019, and approximately 4 grams of fentanyl to an informant on December 4, 2019, both times in Huntington.

On May 11, 2021, Thomas was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement officers in Huntington. Thomas admitted to possessing approximately 4 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and $3,500 in cash found in the vehicle. Thomas further admitted that he intended to sell the crack for money, and that the cash was drug proceeds.

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2022, 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 Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-37.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Lincoln County man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 15, 2021, law enforcement officers arrested Randall Jim Hughes, 37, of Alkol, on an outstanding warrant. During the arrest, two baggies containing approximately 23 grams of fentanyl fell from Hughes’ person. Hughes admitted that he possessed the fentanyl and intended to distribute it. Hughes further admitted that officers seized two loaded firearms from him.

Hughes is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2022, 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 Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the United States Marshals Service.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani and former United States Attorney Nick Miller have prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-205.

###