Southern District of West Virginia

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Detroit man pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Eddie E. Kellom, also known as “Ace,” 23, admitted to selling a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant near Coal City, Raleigh County, on May 21, 2021. Kellom also admitted to selling fentanyl on three other occasions. Each of these transactions also occurred in Raleigh County.

Kellom further admitted to possessing approximately 250 grams of fentanyl recovered during a January 11, 2022, traffic stop by law enforcement officers near Putnam County.  Kellom admitted that he intended to distribute the fentanyl in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.

Kellom is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9, 2022, and faces up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit (BRCDVCU), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for conducting the investigation.

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

The case is a result of a months-long investigation dubbed “Operation Wolverine Carousel,” an investigation into the wide-spread distribution of heroin and fentanyl in Raleigh and Fayette Counties.

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. 5:22-cr-31.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Devonte Jamer McItyer, 27, admitted to selling approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Huntington on October 2, 2019. Following the sale, a Cabell County sheriff’s deputy pulled over a vehicle in which McItyer was a passenger. The deputy 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 that the deputy also found in the vehicle.

McItyer is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum of  five years and up to 40 years in prison, as well as up to four years of supervised release and a $5 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting 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.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Chicago man was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a multi-state conspiracy responsible for distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and other controlled substances in the Parkersburg area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Carlo Lee Ramsey, 56, supplied co-defendants Era Dawn Corder and Ambera Roberts with methamphetamine that they re-distributed between June and September 2021. Ramsey was supplied with methamphetamine by Robert Sanders, Jr., and was supplied with cocaine, marijuana, and other controlled substances by Floyd Dermonta Ramsey. Carlo Ramsey supplied all these substances to several customers in the Parkersburg area for several months.

Carlo Ramsey previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Co-defendants Corder, Roberts, Sanders, Floyd Ramsey, and Matthew Edward Depew previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia as a result of a nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” Depew was sentenced to five years in prison, Floyd Ramsey and Corder were each sentenced to three years in prison, and Roberts was sentenced to one year and six months in prison. Sanders is awaiting sentencing. The investigation also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and 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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). 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.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – After a one-day trial, a federal jury convicted Matthew Corban Hagy, 51, of Memphis, Tennessee, of production and possession of child pornography.

Evidence at trial revealed 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. The jury found Hagy guilty on both counts of the indictment.

Hagy is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2022. He faces at least 15 years and up to 50 years in prison, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. Hagy will also be required to register as a sex offender.

“That this individual preyed upon a minor child during the holidays makes his awful crimes all the more heinous,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I thank the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the South Charleston Police Department, and the Secret Service for their excellent investigative work in this case. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Julie White and Greg McVey and the trial team for prosecuting the case and securing guilty verdicts on all counts.”

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

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jason Edward D’Arco, 40, sold a total of almost three-quarters of a pound of cocaine to a confidential informant on four occasions in January and February 2020. The drug sales occurred at D’Arco’s residence and a sandwich shop he managed in downtown Charleston.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Charleston Police Department.  The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) provided assistance during the investigation.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. 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. 2:21-cr-263.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg woman was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for her role in a multi-state conspiracy responsible for distributing methamphetamine and other controlled substances in the Parkersburg area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Era Dawn Corder, 47, of Parkersburg, admitted to obtaining and re-distributing several ounces of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg area between June and September 2021. Corder obtained this methamphetamine from Carlo Ramsey, at times on consignment with the understanding that she would pay Ramsey back later with the proceeds. Corder and Ramsey would coordinate over the phone when Corder needed additional methamphetamine.

Corder pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In total, Corder was responsible for over 325 grams of methamphetamine during the course of the conspiracy.

Carlo Ramsey, Floyd Dermonta Ramsey, Ambera Roberts, Matthew Edward Depew, and Robert Sanders, Jr., previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, as a result of a nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” Roberts was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, Depew was sentenced to five years in prison, and Floyd Ramsey was sentenced to three years in prison. All other defendants are awaiting sentencing. The investigation also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and 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.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe handled the prosecution.

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.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Wayne County man was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jonathan Walker, 45, of Ceredo, admitted to selling what he believed to be heroin from the driveway of his D Street residence to a confidential informant for $2,750 on March 8, 2021. A forensic chemist later determined that the substance sold by Walker was fentanyl.   

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for conducting the investigation.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-115.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Huntington men were sentenced today to prison for their roles in a multi-state drug ring. Donald Duane Cole, 51, was sentenced to five years and 10 months. William Edward Nellons, Jr., 38, was sentenced to three years and 10 months. Three years of supervised release will follow each prison sentence.

According to court documents and statements made in court,  Cole and Nellons participated in a conspiracy with others to distribute drugs in Huntington from at least April 2021 to July 2021. Cole admitted to distributing fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” Nellons admitted that he regularly received cocaine and fentanyl which he distributed to others in the Huntington area. At times, Nellons and Cole each received the drugs on consignment and returned proceeds after conducting distributions.

Nellons admitted that he stored approximately 30 grams of fentanyl at Cole’s residence in May 2021 that he distributed during the conspiracy. Cole admitted to possessing approximately 10 grams of crack seized by law enforcement officers while executing a search warrant at his Ninth Avenue residence on July 29, 2021. Cole further admitted that he intended to sell the crack cocaine.

Cole pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Nellons pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Seventeen other individuals pleaded guilty to roles in the multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in Huntington and distributed fentanyl, cocaine and crack as well as methamphetamine, oxycodone, and heroin.

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 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 sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the cases.

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

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man pleaded guilty today to retaliation against a government witness.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from July 2021 through August 11, 2021, David Stanley, 46, of Bolt, admitted to sending multiple intimidating and threatening messages through Facebook Messenger to a witness in a federal criminal case against Stanley’s brother.

Stanley is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Stanley’s brother, Charles Stanley, 51, of Shady Springs, pleaded guilty on February 3, 2022, to aiding and abetting the destruction of an energy facility and awaits sentencing. According to court documents and statements made in court, Charles Stanley admitted to working with others to steal multiple pieces of specialized mining equipment in May and June, 2019, from the energy facility, located in Boone and Lincoln counties, resulting in more than $5,000 in damage.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson, John File and Negar Kordestani are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-144.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to 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 the Norway Avenue address of Roy Bills, 56. Officers 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 was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his November, 7, 2016 felony conviction in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia for conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Bills is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29, 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 efforts of the U.S. 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe 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. 3:21-cr-60.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with a thwarted Fourth of July 2021 murder scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, James Edward Bennett III, 31, was one of four men who armed themselves at a Rand residence 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. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered four loaded firearms. Bennett admitted to possessing two of the firearms: a Taurus, Model G2C, 9mm pistol; and a Spike’s Tactical, Model SL15, .223-caliber pistol.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bennett is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for: first-degree robbery on July 13, 2010; voluntary manslaughter on July 17, 2017; and unlawful wounding on August 21, 2019, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

Two of the three other men have admitted to roles in the Fourth of July 2021 incident. Brian Dangelo Terry, 37, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Treydan Leon Burks, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Both men face sentencing on June 30, 2022. The fourth man, Douglas Johnathan Wesley, 33, of Charleston, is scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.

The drug offenses arise from Burks’ and Terry’s participation in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County. Of the 17 defendants charged in the DTO conspiracy, 11 others have also pleaded guilty: Ramon David Alston, Jonathan Gregory Bush, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, Brittany Frances Gilbert, Angie Lane Harbour, Scott Edward Hudson, Jason Robert Oxley, and Michael Antonio Smith. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted on March 24, 2022, following a two-day jury trial. In addition to Wesley, Leo Antoine Smith, 38, of Cross Lanes, also faces trial on May 24, 2022.

“The collaborative approach of our law enforcement partners allowed for a quick response that averted a real potential for bloodshed,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) for their excellent investigative work in this case.”

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-00171, and 2:21-cr-00211.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson honored an array of federal, state and local law enforcement professionals today for their outstanding contributions to investigations and cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.

During a ceremony at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston, Thompson presented 2022 Law Enforcement Awards to more than 60 individuals.

The awards recognize both invaluable assistance within specific categories of cases and office initiatives as well as overall exemplary service over the past year:

 

Category: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States.  OCDETF investigations use a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Operation Shutdown Corner (U.S. vs. Jones, 5:19-cr-227):

Special Agent Jennifer King, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Forensic Examiner Melinda Cash, FBI

Staff Operations Specialist Rose Chestnut, FBI

Intelligence Analyst Sarah Cole, FBI

Resident Agent in Charge David Bullard, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Special Agent Rob DiDomenico, U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Sergeant Rob Richards, West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation

Detective David Snuffer, Beckley Police Department

Detective Will Reynolds, Beckley Police Department

Sergeant Brian Acord, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department

Detective Ray Hall, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department

 

For a multi-jurisdictional, long-term investigation that targeted a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) operating between California and the Southern District of West Virginia. All 17 defendants charged in the case have been convicted, with the final defendant sentenced to more than 16 years in prison. The investigation linked the defendants to large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin mixed with fentanyl as well as to firearms shipped back to California. Approximately 26 firearms were recovered along with a bump stock, a device that allows semi-automatic firearms to operate as machine guns.

 

 

Operation Second Wave (includes U.S. vs. Terrell, 2:20-cr-154):

Special Agent Jennifer King, FBI

Special Agent Michael McDonald, FBI

Special Agent Georgia Marshall, FBI

Special Agent John Reese, FBI

Special Agent Jarred Shockey, FBI

Staff Operations Specialist Rose Chestnut, FBI

Forensic Examiner Melinda Cash, FBI

Forensic Accountant Tammie Blundon, FBI

Resident Agent in Charge David Bullard, ATF

Special Agent Ben Henrich, Drug Enforcement Administration

Postal Inspector Josh Mehall, U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Special Agent Todd Phillips, U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General

Sergeant Curtis Adkins, West Virginia State Police-BCI

Detective Owen Morris, Charleston Police Department

Detective Brian Middleton, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department

Detective Jon Vernon, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department

Deputy Steve Martin, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department

 

For an investigation that resulted in the dismantling of a drug-trafficking operation (DTO) that involved the distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana THC products in Kanawha and Fayette counties. More than a dozen individuals were convicted in the case, with five of them each sentenced to at least 10 years in prison. Those convicted included a United States Postal Service mail carrier who delivered drugs to the co-conspirators in packages addressed to fictitious individuals along his route.

 

 

Category: Project Safe Neighborhoods

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, and is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

U.S. vs. Boone (3:21-cr-101):

Detective Stephen Maniskas, Huntington Police Department

Lieutenant Ryan Bentley, Huntington Police Department

Sergeant Ronnie Lusk, Huntington Police Department

PFC Jordan McClellan, Huntington Police Department

PFC Bradley Koeppen, Huntington Police Department

Patrolman Ryan Donoho, Huntington Police Department

Patrolman Sean Brinegar, Huntington Police Department

Patrolman Hun Tak, Huntington Police Department

 

For the successful prosecution of an eight-time felon captured after a shooting and resulting police pursuit in Huntington. A stolen firearm was found in the vehicle of the defendant, who was sentenced to more than eight years in prison.

 

 

Category: Drug & Violent Crime

 

U.S. vs. Fields (2:20-cr-00128):

Officer William Keith McGraw, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Police

 

For investigating a Fayette County man suspected of deer poaching, who was later determined to be convicted of voluntary manslaughter for beating a young woman to death with a tire iron. The investigation resulted in federal convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and the defendant was sentenced to six year and six months in prison.

 

 

Category: Project Safe Childhood

 

Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is 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, 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.

 

U.S. vs. Humphrey (5:21-cr-5):

Special Agent Phil Gunther, FBI

Special Agent James Harrison, FBI

Forensic Examiner Melinda Cash, FBI

Detective Wayne Long, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department

Detective E. E. Simon, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department

Detective C.D. Suman, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department

Detective R. A. Robinson, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department

Detective R. S. Queen, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department

Captain L. D. Lilly, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department

Sergeant Steven A. Sommers, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department

Detective Jarred Payne, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department

 

For the investigation and successful prosecution of a Beckley man who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attempted production of child pornography.

 

 

FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force:

Supervisory Special Agent Tony Rausa, FBI

Special Agent Jared Jankowski, FBI (Task Force Coordinator)

Special Agent Genevieve Baushke, FBI (Task Force Coordinator)

 

The FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was recognized for its work in the Humphrey case as well as additional successful prosecutions, including of a Berkeley County man sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted enticement of a minor; a Virginia man sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor; and an Upshur County man sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor.

 

 

Category: Civil Rights

 

U.S. vs. Maynard (2:21-cr-65):

Special Agent James F. Lafferty II, FBI

Special Agent Greg Lipari, FBI

Sergeant Andrew Shingler, West Virginia State Police–BCI

 

A former Logan County Police Department officer was sentenced to nine years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of violating an arrestee’s civil rights by using excessive force against him. The outstanding work of these honorees ensured that justice was served in the case.

 

Category: White Collar Crime

U.S. vs Vladimirov (2:20-cr-54):

Special Agent Devon Selbee, U.S. Secret Service

Special Agent Terry Hedrick, U.S. Secret Service

Resident Agent in Charge Wade Fleming, U.S. Secret Service

Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Department

 

For the successful prosecution of the first known federal case that took down and convicted the organizer of a retail theft-based fencing organization. The leader, a native of Bulgaria living in Cross Lanes, acquired goods stolen by people addicted to heroin. Paying these “boosters” a fraction of the retail value, the ringleader resold the items online for significant profit. He was sentenced to more than eight years in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

 

 

U.S. vs. Pinson (2:19-cr-250):

Postal Inspector Seth Summers, U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Special Agent J.T. Waggy, FBI

Special Agent Cedric Jefferson, FBI

Special Agent Jack Remaley, FBI (retired)

First Sergeant J. M. “Mike” Parde, West Virginia State Police-BCI

Special Agent Bruce Adkins, National Insurance Crime Bureau

Intelligence Analyst Rhonda Edwards, West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner

 

A $4.3 million fraud scheme targeted Toyota Motor Sales and its buyback program for Tacoma customers. Four individuals pleaded guilty in the case. The leader of the scheme, a used car dealership owner, was sentenced to six years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and aggravated identify theft.

 

 

U.S. vs. Dudding (3:22-cr-1):

Special Agent Devon Selbee, U.S. Secret Service

Special Agent Terry Hedrick, U.S. Secret Service

Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Department

Special Agent Meg Faden, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General

 

A Huntington woman acting as a money mule for a Nigeria-based online scammer pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an unlawful money transaction and faces sentencing June 27, 2022. The investigation targeted the numerous accounts and multiple banks used to send and receive fraudulent funds, and led to the seizure of nearly the entire $1.788 million the defendant is required to pay in the case.

 

 

U.S. vs. McLaughlin (2:20-cr-182):

Detective James Hart, Parkersburg Police Department

 

For his investigation into a $1 million scam involving the purchase and sale of collector cars, which resulted in the conviction of an Ohio businessman who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.

 

 

U.S. vs. Phillips (3:21-cr-135):

Special Agent Todd Berry, FBI

Special Agent Michael McDonald, FBI

Special Agent Jarred Shockey, FBI

Special Agent Phil Gunther, FBI

Special Agent James F. Lafferty II, FBI

Special Agent Georgia Marshall, FBI

Special Agent John Reese, FBI

Sergeant Bradford Burner, West Virginia State Police–BCI

Sergeant Richard Stephenson, West Virginia State Police

Lieutenant Jason Lanham, Summersville Police Department

Asset Forfeiture Coordinator Jaime Cochran, U.S. Marshals Service

 

A longtime employee stole approximately $4.72 million from a Huntington-based non-profit organization that provides services and support to children and families. The investigation resulted in her conviction, a $4.65 million restitution order and a sentence of seven years in prison.

 

 

Category: Outstanding Community Partner Award

 

Larry Snidow, Health Education Specialist, WV Health Right

 

Nurse Larry Snidow was among the first health care professionals called to the front lines as Charleston prepared to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Snidow worked countless hours administering COVID-19 tests and vaccinations while educating businesses and individuals about health safety protocols. Snidow routinely visited homebound individuals in their residences for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.

 

Category: Collaborative Law Enforcement Award

 

United States Marshals Service

Michael Baylous, U.S. Marshal

Anthony Santoro, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal

Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Fred Lamey

Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Matt Ingram

Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Chris Leachman

Administrative Officer Chris Thompson

 

By encouraging, developing and maintaining partnerships, the United States Marshals Service provides invaluable assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and across the district’s law enforcement community. Thompson commended them for being the ultimate team players.

 

Category: Drug & Violent Crime Task Force of the Year

 

Beckley/Raleigh County Drug & Violent Crime Task Force

Task Force Commander: Sergeant Rob Richards, West Virginia State Police-BCI

 

This task force consists of the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. Its outstanding cooperative law enforcement efforts included the successful Operation Shutdown Corner investigation (see OCDETF category).

 

Law Enforcement Officers of the Year

 

Special Agent Jennifer King, FBI

Sergeant Curtis Adkins, West Virginia State Police-BCI

Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Department

 

This year’s honorees are known for their passionate commitment to every case they work; their skills and tenacity as investigators; and their selfless dedication to getting the job done.

 

 A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Jackson County woman pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Monique Ann Casto, 37, of Kenna, unlawfully collected $41,166 in Social Security Survivor’s Insurance Benefits payments on behalf of a minor child after losing custody of that child.

Casto began receiving the benefits in March 2006 for the care of a child as the child’s representative payee. These Social Security representative payee benefits were based on income and living arrangements. The benefits required that the SSA money received be used for the well-being of the child. They also created a duty on the recipient to report a change in living arrangements. Casto failed to disclose that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources took custody of the minor child on June 23, 2015, and that her parental rights were terminated in May 2016. Casto continued to collect benefits unlawfully from June 2015 through August 2019.

Casto pleaded guilty to concealment of an event that affects SSA benefits and to conversion of SSA benefits. She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,00 fine.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White 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-137.

 

 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Fayette County woman pleaded guilty to providing false information on a government form in order to acquire firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 23, 2020, Terri Lawhorn, 27, of Fayetteville, bought three firearms: a Glock 44 .22-caliber pistol; a Glock 43 9mm pistol; and a Glock 42 .380-caliber pistol. Lawhorn admitted that she purchased the firearms for Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” who is separately charged in a pending gun trafficking conspiracy. Through an intermediary, Jones had given Lawhorn money to buy the firearms and told her which ones to buy from a gun dealer in Mount Hope, West Virginia.

Lawhorn purchased at least six firearms as part of the overall scheme. Each time Lawhorn bought firearms for Jones, she lied on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473, Federal Firearms Transaction Records, certifying that she was buying the guns for herself when she knew they were for Jones.

Lawhorn is scheduled to be sentenced on September 2, 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 ATF, which conducted the investigation.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is prosecuting the case.

Lawhorn is among 13 individuals indicted in connection with their roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More than 30 of the firearms have been recovered in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.

Co-defendant Arileah Lacy, also known as “Leah,” 24, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on April 22, 2022, to providing false information on an ATF form in order to acquire a firearm. The case remains pending against Jones and the other co-defendants. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man pleaded guilty to the distribution of a quantity of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Kyle L. Thomas, also known as “Trip,” 22, admitted to selling a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Amigo, Raleigh County, on October 18, 2021.

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 2, 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 Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit (BRCDVCU) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for conducting the investigation.

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

The case is a result of a months-long investigation dubbed “Operation Wolverine Carousel,” an investigation into the wide-spread distribution of heroin and fentanyl in Raleigh and Fayette Counties.

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. 5:22-cr-29.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Caila Vance, 26, admitted to selling suspected methamphetamine to a confidential informant on February 8, 2022. The substance later tested positive as methamphetamine.

Vance is scheduled to be sentenced on September 15, 2022, and faces mandatory minimum of  five years and up to 40 years in prison as well as at least four years of supervised release and a $5 million fine.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Steve Loew 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-57.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A St. Albans man pleaded guilty today to intent to distribute methamphetamine and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott Edward Hudson, 50, admitted to participating in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County. As part of this conspiracy, Hudson sold approximately 3.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on March 22, 2019. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hudson’s residence on March 23, 2019, at which time they recovered approximately 230.8 grams of pure methamphetamine and $5,160 in cash that included marked bills from the previous day’s controlled buy.

Hudson further admitted to possessing a SWD Cobray, model M11/9, 9mm pistol in the St. Albans area on May 22, 2021. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hudson admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions, including for attempt to commit a felony in Jackson County Circuit Court on June 30, 2006.

Hudson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.

Hudson is one of 17 defendants charged as a result of the DTO investigation. Ramon David Alston, James Edward Bennett, III, Treydan Leon Burks, Jonathan Gregory Bush, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, Brittany Frances Gilbert, Angie Lane Harbour, Jason Robert Oxley, Michael Antonio Smith, and Brian D’Angelo Terry have also pleaded guilty. Harbour was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison on May 16, 2022. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted on March 24, 2022, following a two-day jury trial. Leo Antoine Smith and Douglas Johnathan Wesley are scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.

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 County Sheriff’s Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting 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. 2:21-cr-171, 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-211, and 2:22-cr-90.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to eight 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, Denzil Weatherspoon, 29, ran from officers with the Charleston Police Department on February 4, 2020. Upon  detaining Weatherspoon, officers recovered a loaded Rohm Model RG23 .22-caliber revolver in his jacket pocket.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Weatherspoon knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of two prior felony convictions: for unlawful wounding on August 18, 2014, in Kanawha County Circuit Court; and for aggravated assault on November 10, 2016, for in the Circuit Court of Davidson County, Tennessee.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Former Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-138.

 

 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Michael Bryant, 62,  admitted to selling fentanyl to a confidential informant on three separate occasions in March 2021 at his Hunt Street residence. During one of the controlled buys, Bryant also sold the confidential informant a loaded Francolin Arms, model Citadel Boss 25, 12-gauge shotgun. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bryant’s residence on October 21, 2021 and seized additional quantities of fentanyl, a loaded Sports Arms Derringer .22-caliber pistol, and rounds of 9mm and .22-caliber ammunition. 

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bryant admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his two prior felony convictions: for being a felon in possession of a firearm on February 25, 2010, in Raleigh County Circuit Court; and for unlawful assault on October 30, 2000, Fayette County Circuit Court.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Negar 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. 5:21-cr-199.

 

 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man was sentenced today to seven years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing cocaine base, also known as “crack” cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Gregory Anthony Waters, 53,  sold approximately 1 ounce of cocaine base to a confidential informant on September 20, 2020. Waters admitted to meeting the informant near a restaurant he owned in Beckley to sell the drugs. Waters also admitted to selling cocaine or cocaine base on several other occasions. Each transaction occurred within the Southern District of West Virginia.

Waters agreed to forfeit cash in the amount of $2,481 and to have a money judgment entered in the amount of $5,000, the total of which represents the proceeds of his illegal drug trafficking. Waters also agreed to forfeit a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado truck which was used to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-191.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will honor more than 60 law enforcement professionals during the 2022 Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 20, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston.

Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to major investigations and cases involving drugs, violent crime, civil rights, child exploitation, and white collar crime.

Thompson will also present awards honoring this year’s outstanding law enforcement officers, drug and violent crime task force, collaborative law enforcement agency, and community partner.

The annual awards ceremony recognizes the exemplary service of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who have provided invaluable assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia in cases and initiatives.

This year’s ceremony is in conjunction with National Police Week, held to remember and honor the service and sacrifices of law enforcement officers.

WHO: United States Attorney Will Thompson, joined by representatives from the law enforcement community

WHAT: 2022 Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony

WHEN: Friday, May 20, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, Fifth Floor, 300 Virginia St., East, Charleston, West Virginia

*** NOTICE: cameras and other recording devices will be permitted on the fifth floor of the Courthouse for the ceremony only. ***

 A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, John Eric Dickson, 59, of St. Albans, admitted that he supplied co-defendant Rodney Alexander Minter, 62, of Logan, with an ounce of methamphetamine on January 5, 2021, to sell to another individual. Minter pleaded guilty to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 9, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber 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. 2:21-cr-169.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An Indianapolis man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 20, 2021, officers with the Parkersburg Police Department pulled over a vehicle driven by Steven Loren Mandrell, 44, formerly of Parkersburg, because it didn’t have a valid license plate. 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. Mandrell admitted to having two loaded firearms under his seat, a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol and a Bul Transmark 9mm pistol. Both firearms were seized by the officers.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Mandrell knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a January 27, 2010, conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Wood County Circuit Court.

Mandrell is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14, 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 efforts of the Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

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

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Bluefield man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Torrey Hairston, 34, admitted that law enforcement officers found a pair of 9mm semi-automatic pistols, a Beretta Nano and a Glock 26, after responding to a report of a domestic altercation at his residence on March 19, 2021. One of the firearms was in Hairston’s pocket and the other was on the floor of Hairston’s apartment.

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 March 29, 2017, conviction for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in Mercer County Circuit Court.

Hairston is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 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 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 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. 1:21-cr-233.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Chicago man was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a multi-state 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, on August 31, 2021, Floyd Dermonta Ramsey, 42, was riding in a vehicle while in possession of 98 pills containing fentanyl, just over 68 grams of cocaine, and approximately 3 pounds of marijuana that he intended to distribute to others. The vehicle was pulled over in Parkersburg by a trooper with the West Virginia State Police who searched the vehicle and seized the controlled substances.

Ramsey was delivering the drugs to the residence of co-defendant Carlo Ramsey as part of a months-long conspiracy to distribute various controlled substances in Parkersburg.  Months of surveillance by law enforcement officers established that Floyd Ramsey was a supplier of various controlled substances to the conspiracy, which he would regularly transport or arrange to have transported by others into the Parkersburg area from Chicago. 

Floyd Ramsey pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana, and has a long criminal history that now includes six felony convictions.

Today’s sentencing is the latest result from a nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” Co-defendants Carlo Ramsey, Era Dawn Corder, Ambera Roberts, Matthew Edward Depew, and Robert Sanders, Jr., previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. Roberts was sentenced to 1 year and six months in prison. Depew was sentenced to five years in prison. All other defendants are awaiting sentencing. The investigation also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and 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.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). 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.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to 12 years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in the Huntington area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Christopher Leon Vest, also known as “Nick,” 34, admitted that he participated in the conspiracy from the summer of 2020 to July 2021. Vest frequently obtained quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine to distribute to various customers in the Huntington area. Vest provided the drugs to customers on consignment and was aware his customers intended to redistribute the drugs. Vest also admitted that he operated two residences in Huntington as locations to receive deliveries and to distribute the drugs.

On July 29, 2021, Vest was arrested after an indictment was returned charging multiple individuals in the investigation and a search warrant was executed at his  residence on that date. Law enforcement officers seized a number of items including four firearms and over $86,000 in United States currency. Vest admitted that he possessed the firearms and that the money constituted proceeds from drug sales. Search warrants were also executed at another residence operated by Vest. During that search, law enforcement officers seized over a kilogram of cocaine, 800 grams of fentanyl, and 450 grams of methamphetamine that Vest intended to distribute and two additional firearms.  

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 the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, 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.

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. 3:21-cr-109.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to 26 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempted production of child pornography. Nicholas Wilds, 38, must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Wilds admitted that he engaged in distributing child pornography using online chat rooms. Wilds messaged with a user of Kik, an online messaging application, and the two discussed sexually abusing young children. Wilds encouraged the other Kik user to take sexually explicit photographs of a child in the user’s care, providing graphic details with his requests. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant and found that Wilds possessed several hundred images of child pornography on his personal cell phone.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-5.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for 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, Angie Lane Harbour, 40, was a drug courier for a methamphetamine distribution organization operating in and around Charleston. Harbour acted as a driver for members of the organization both locally and during resupply trips out-of-state. On August 4, 2021, Harbour was driving co-conspirators Brian D’Angelo Terry and Brittany Frances Gilbert back to West Virginia from a resupply trip to Columbus, Ohio, when they were stopped by police in Cross Lanes.  Police seized approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine from the vehicle.

Harbour pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and is one of 17 defendants charged as a result of the investigation. Terry and Gilbert have also pleaded guilty as have Ramon David Alston, Treydan Leon Burks, Jason Robert Oxley, Jonathan Gregory Bush, James Edward Bennett, III, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, and Michael Antonio Smith. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted on March 24, 2022, following a two-day jury trial. Scott Edward Hudson, Leo Antoine Smith and Douglas Johnathan Wesley are scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.

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 County Sheriff’s Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, 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 Attorney Joshua Hanks 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-171, 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-211, and 2:22-cr-90.

 

 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the residence of Edward Paul Potter, 42, of Bradley, on December 1, 2020. During the search, law enforcement officers found over 50 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, $1,356 in U.S. currency, and 17 firearms. Potter admitted that he possessed and intended to sell the heroin and fentanyl mixture. Potter further admitted that he had been working with a drug trafficking ring operating from Detroit and he had been receiving regular shipments of heroin.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-167.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced today to one year and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for escape after walking away from a federal reentry facility.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Joshua Dowler, 40, admitted that he walked away from Dismas Charities in St. Albans on September 16, 2021, by exiting the fenced-in area of the property. Dowler had been confined at Dismas because he was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Dowler had not yet completed his term of imprisonment when he walked away from Dismas. The United States Marshals Service apprehended Dowler in Parkersburg on November 9, 2021.

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

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. 2:21-cr-256.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man 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 or about January 26, 2021, Shawn Mackenzie Tant, 43, was sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked in front of a retail establishment on the south side of Parkersburg. While in the vehicle, Tant had contact with officers from the Parkersburg Police Department. A Harrington and Richardson .38-caliber revolver was located by the officers on the dashboard of Tant’s vehicle.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Tant admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of three prior felony convictions in Wood County Circuit Court for delivery of a controlled substance. Tant has a long criminal history that includes three domestic battery convictions as well as convictions for domestic assault, battery, and battery of a police officer.

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 Parkersburg Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. 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-232.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 9, 2021, officers with the Parkersburg Police Department responded to a domestic violence complaint at the apartment of Matthew Ryan Hunt, 34. They forced entry after learning that shots had been fired inside Hunt’s apartment. Hunt was located inside with a pistol sitting next to him. Inside a safe in the bedroom, officers located an additional pistol and two rifles as well as over 5,800 rounds of ammunition. A female was also present. Officers located two spent shell casings in the apartment, and gunshot residue was detected on swabs taken from Hunt’s hands and face. Investigators later used the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to determine that the spent shell casings were fired from the pistol that officers located next to Hunt.

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 an August 2017 felony conviction for breaking and entering in Wirt County Circuit Court.

Hunt is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2022, and faces a maximum potential penalty of life in prison.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

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.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted a Huntington man today of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Evidence at trial revealed Brendon Tyre Garner, 33, possessed .380-caliber ammunition in Huntington on June 29, 2021. Garner possessed this ammunition when he shot an individual on Charleston Avenue and fled the scene. 

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Garner knew he was prohibited from possessing ammunition because of prior felony convictions in Cabell County Circuit Court for possession with intent to deliver drugs in January 2015; in Lawrence County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas for trafficking in drugs in April 2014; and in Cabell County Circuit Court for wanton endangerment in October 2011.

Garner is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force for conducting the investigation.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the jury trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Keefe and Joseph F. Adams are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-140.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Will Thompson will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”

In conjunction with National Police Week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia will hold its annual Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 20, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. at the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse in Charleston. This annual event recognizes the exemplary work of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers alongside whom the United States Attorney’s Office stands as a proud partner.

“Our law enforcement officers need our support each and every day, and National Police Week allows us to show our appreciation for their service and sacrifice,” Thompson said. “We offer homage to those officers who have given their lives to keep our communities safe. Paying that ultimate price has earned our eternal gratitude.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19.

The Southern District of West Virginia did not record any line of duty deaths among law enforcement in 2021. But the names added to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial in 2022 include 147 officers who died in years prior to 2021. Among those names is that of George William Spangler of the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, whose watch ended on Feb. 19, 1927.

Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.

The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.

 A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

 

 

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Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.

 

 

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Logan County man was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by five 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, Brian Dometric Knox, 37, of Logan, admitted that he possessed the approximately 79 grams of methamphetamine found by law enforcement officers on January 26, 2021, while carrying out a search warrant at the Cross Lanes residence where Knox was living at the time. Knox admitted that he intended to sell that methamphetamine and also admitted to selling approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine weekly between December 1, 2020, and January 22, 2021.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the West Virginia State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.  Assistant U.S. 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. 2:21-cr-170.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 500 or more grams of methamphetamine as part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2020 until at least September 28, 2021, Ramon David Alston, 42, of Decatur, Georgia, 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 two of his West Virginia customers visited his residence separately on July 19, 2021, and that he sold one of them a kilogram of methamphetamine. That customer was later stopped by police and arrested after being found in possession of the methamphetamine. Alston admitted to learning of the arrest, and of knowing that the other customer had purchased approximately 6 pounds of methamphetamine from him over the course of the DTO conspiracy.

Alston is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, as well as at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting 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.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to six years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Curtis Givens, 52, admitted to selling several grams of fentanyl as well as two firearms, including a .32-caliber handgun, to a confidential informant on November 10, 2020. Givens admitted that he sold the confidential informant an additional 14 grams of fentanyl on November 18, 2020. Both transactions occurred at Givens’ residence on Charleston’s West Side.

Givens also brandished a firearm on July 7, 2021, while arguing with another person in view of a Charleston police officer who then immediately arrested Givens.

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 Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-166.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a multi-state 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, Matthew Edward Depew, 31, admitted to obtaining methamphetamine from Robert Sanders, Jr., between April and July 2021, which he then re-distributed to customers in and around Parkersburg. Depew would often obtain large quantities of methamphetamine on consignment from Sanders, and Sanders would sometimes direct Depew to specific customers. Sanders and Depew would regularly coordinate over the phone regarding when Depew needed more methamphetamine to distribute. 

Over the course of the conspiracy, Depew was responsible for several pounds of methamphetamine worth tens of thousands of dollars that he obtained from Sanders and re-distributed within the Parkersburg area. Depew’s involvement in the conspiracy ended when he was arrested following a traffic stop by officers with the Parkersburg Police Department on July 31, 2021. During the traffic stop, officers found approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine in Depew’s possession that he had obtained from Sanders.   

Sanders and co-defendants Carlo Ramsey, Floyd Dermonta Ramsey, Era Dawn Corder, and Ambera Roberts all previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. This case results from a nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” Roberts was sentenced to one and one-half years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on May 9, 2022.  All other defendants are awaiting sentencing. The investigation also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and 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 Department, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Boyd County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department, the Russell, Kentucky, Police Department and the Raceland, Kentucky, Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.

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.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced to time served for possessing an unregistered incendiary device, and placed on three years of supervised release to begin once he finishes a term of supervised release imposed for a prior conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office and firefighters encountered Daniel Justin Watts, 36, while responding to a structure fire at his residence on Green Valley Road in Huntington on September 28, 2020. Watts admitted to them that he had constructed an incendiary device commonly known as a “Molotov cocktail,” which he ignited and threw onto the back porch of his residence, setting it on fire. Watts admitted to possessing the incendiary device and not registering it in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

In 2017, Watts was convicted of possession with intent to distribute heroin and was sentenced to two years and one month in prison followed by three years of supervised release. After the September 2020 incident, Watts’ supervised release was revoked and he was sentenced to one year and six months in prison followed by one year and six months of supervised release.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, and the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office.

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-119.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Huntington men were sentenced to prison today for their roles in a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.

Edward Shane Midkiff, 35, was sentenced to three years and one month for distribution of methamphetamine. Mark Anthony Chandler, 31, was sentenced to four years and four months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Each prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Midkiff admitted that a confidential informant contacted him on January 12, 2021, to arrange a methamphetamine purchase. Midkiff directed the informant to the 500 block of 4th Avenue in Huntington to complete the transaction.  At that location, Midkiff met with the informant in a vehicle and sold the informant methamphetamine.

Chandler admitted to receiving approximately one-half kilogram of cocaine from a co-defendant, William Raeshaun Byrd, in Huntington on June 30, 2021. Chandler was subsequently transporting the cocaine to another location when a deputy with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop of Chandler’s vehicle. Chandler fled from the stop and was arrested on a later date. During the stop, the deputy seized the cocaine as well a 9mm pistol that Chandler left in the vehicle. Chandler admitted that he intended to distribute the cocaine.

All 18 individuals indicted have pleaded guilty in the case, the result of a long-term investigation that disrupted the DTO and its distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” Law enforcement seized more than 47 pounds of fentanyl, 6.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.5 pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of heroin, 14 firearms and $335,000.

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 the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, 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 sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans 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. 3:21-cr-109.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man was sentenced today to two and one-half years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for attempted possession with intent to distribute suboxone and conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jacob Benjamin Loper, 21, was an inmate at the Western Regional Jail on June 14, 2021, when he used recorded jail phone lines to speak with an individual outside of the jail. Loper instructed the individual to go to a residence at Marcum Terrace in Huntington to recover $1,500 worth of suboxone that belonged to Loper and was believed to be in the possession of another person. Loper consented to the individual carrying a firearm to retrieve the suboxone. Loper’s associate was unable to retrieve the suboxone from the residence. As Loper’s associate and another individual at the scene were driving away from the residence, a shootout occurred between them and an occupant of the residence. Subsequent to the shooting, Loper communicated via phone with the person believed to be in possession of the suboxone and threatened that if he did not receive his drugs or get paid for them, that shootings would keep happening. 

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Investigations Unit.

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-215.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Culloden man was sentenced today to three years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Travis Lee Hanshaw, 49, admitted to selling methamphetamine to a confidential informant on June 15, 2018, at Hanshaw’s residence.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-198.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg woman was sentenced today to one and one-half years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for her role in a multi-state 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, Ambera Roberts, 34, admitted to participating in a conspiracy with Carlo Ramsey to distribute methamphetamine in and around Parkersburg. Roberts acquired methamphetamine from Carlo Ramsey and distributed it to others in the Parkersburg area between June and September 2021.  Roberts was responsible for the distribution of nearly 100 grams of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.

Roberts previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Matthew Edward Depew, Carlo Ramsey, Floyd Dermonta Ramsey, Era Dawn Corder, and Robert Sanders, Jr. previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, as a result of a nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” All other defendants are awaiting sentencing. The investigation also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and 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 Department, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Boyd County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department, the Russell, Kentucky, Police Department and the Raceland, Kentucky, Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). 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.

 

 

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A McDowell County man was sentenced today to 22 and one-half years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Timothy Edwards, 25, of Yaeger, must also register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Edwards admitted that from April 2020 through February 2021 he engaged in sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl. During that time frame, Edwards produced multiple videos of himself engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor child. He also directed the minor child to produce and send sexually explicit videos of herself to him. Edwards additionally caused the minor child to engage in live video chats during which she would send video of herself masturbating.

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-186.

 

 

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A convicted West Virginia sex offender pleaded guilty today to failing to provide information related to foreign travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents and statements made in court, Andrew Todd Smith, 32, of Peterstown, Monroe County, admitted that he traveled to South Africa in November 2021 without providing the required advanced notification. Smith was required to register as a sex offender under SORNA after he was convicted of three counts of third-degree sexual assault in Monroe County Circuit Court in 2013. Smith admitted that when he registered as a sex offender with the West Virginia State Police, he signed written forms acknowledging his requirement to report any international travel at least 21 days in advance.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2, 2022, and faces up to 10 years in prison, supervised release of five years and up to life, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police for conducting the investigation.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-50.

 

 

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Bluefield man was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Eric Lee Flack, 43, admitted that on July 28, 2020, he sold approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine for $5,600 to an undercover informant. Flack also admitted to selling quantities of hydromorphone to the same undercover informant on two separate occasions in September and November 2020. He received approximately $3,500 for each transaction, and both occurred in Bluefield, West Virginia.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-255.

 

 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Charleston residents pleaded guilty today to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in and around Charleston from January to August 2021. The DTO obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from Ohio and Georgia which was then distributed in and around Charleston.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jonathan Gregory Bush, 39, admitted to driving from Charleston to Decatur, Georgia, to purchase methamphetamine, which he then distributed to lower-level dealers and users in and around Charleston. On July 19, 2021, law enforcement surveilled Bush and pulled him over near Atlanta, Georgia, after observing him meet with his supplier. Police searched the vehicle and seized approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine.

Brittany Frances Gilbert, 33, acknowledged she served as a drug and money courier for co-defendant Brian Dangelo Terry and others. She admitted to traveling to Ohio to pick up drug packages and transporting them to West Virginia. On January 25, 2021, Gilbert was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by police in Jackson County, West Virginia. Police seized approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine that Gilbert was transporting from Ohio at Terry’s direction. On August 3, 2021, Gilbert along with Terry and another co-defendant, Angie Lane Harbour, were stopped near Cross Lanes while transporting approximately 1 pound of Terry’s methamphetamine from Columbus, Ohio, to Charleston.

Bush and Gilbert each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They are scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2022, and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.

This case is part of a long-term investigation of a methamphetamine distribution network that resulted in 17 individuals being charged with various drug and firearms offenses in three separate indictments and one information.

Terry, Harbour, James Edward Bennett, III, Treydan Leon Burks, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, Jason Robert Oxley, and Michael Antonio Smith have also pleaded guilty. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted on March 24, 2022, following a two-day jury trial. Scott Edward Hudson, Leo Antoine Smith and Douglas Johnathan Wesley are scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.

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 County Sheriff’s Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting 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. 2:21-cr-171, 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-211, and 2:22-cr-90.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers were conducting surveillance on a residence on Norway Avenue in Huntington as part of a shooting investigation on July 7, 2021. Officers observed a vehicle believed to have been involved in a shooting and subsequently performed a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver was identified as Jabar Markeith Sellers, 32, and a firearm was found in plain view in the driver’s door panel.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Sellers was aware he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of felony convictions in Franklin County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas for aggravated assault in June 2011 and possession of heroin in November 2016.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States 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-120.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the illegal straw purchase of firearms and to conspiring to have drugs including fentanyl smuggled into the Western Regional Jail.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Corey Michael Perkins, 33, admitted to picking out four firearms at Jewelry Gold & Pawn in Huntington on June 30, 2020, telling an employee he would send someone to purchase them. Perkins knew he could not purchase the firearms himself because of a prior felony conviction. Perkins instead instructed another person to purchase the four firearms for him, providing that individual with the necessary cash. He further admitted that he aided, abetted, counseled, and induced that person to falsely state and represent on ATF Form 4473 that she was the actual transferee and buyer of the firearms, when in fact Perkins was the actual transferee and buyer of the firearms.

Perkins also admitted that while on home confinement he coordinated with multiple individuals to get drugs into the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville from November to December 2020. Perkins used recorded jail phone calls to arrange for a package containing 228 suboxone strips, 1.4 grams of fentanyl/methamphetamine mixture, and 1 gram of methamphetamine to be transported into the Western Regional Jail. Perkins utilized an inmate and a person who worked at the jail to carry out the scheme. Perkins was aware that the drugs were intended for redistribution in the jail, and that he would receive money.

Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22, 2022. He pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the illegal straw purchase of firearms, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for that crime. Perkins also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine for that offense.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police, the Huntington Police Department, and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Investigations Unit.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Cremeans and Ryan A. Keefe are prosecuting the cases.

The case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:22-cr-00056 and 3:21-cr-215.

 

 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty to the distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jeremy Lee Pettry, 38, admitted that he sold 28.13 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Huntington on July 29, 2020. Pettry further admitted that law enforcement officers seized 2.21 grams of cocaine, 15.73 grams of heroin and 5.78 grams of methamphetamine that he intended to sell, as well as a revolver from a closet, during an August 6, 2020, search of his 25th Street residence in Huntington. Pettry also admitted to selling approximately 30 ounces of methamphetamine in the months leading up to the search of his residence.

Pettry is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum of  five years and up to 40 years in prison as well as up to four years of supervised release and a $5 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for conducting the investigation.

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. 3:21-cr-246.

 

 

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