Southern District of West Virginia

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Sissonville man was sentenced today to two years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Frederick Clyde Waite, 49, previously admitted that he participated in the conspiracy with multiple other individuals between July of 2019 and September of 2019.  Waite participated in the distribution of methamphetamine that was transported to West Virginia from Akron during the conspiracy. In addition to receiving three pounds methamphetamine on July 25, 2019, Waite admitted that he attempted to acquire additional methamphetamine in the Akron area which was to be transported to West Virginia.  After Waite negotiated the purchase of methamphetamine over the telephone, another individual traveled to Ohio to receive the drugs.  The individual was stopped returning to West Virginia and troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol seized over 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine from the vehicle.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of multiple federal and local agencies. This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department.

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

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. 3:19-cr-000246.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Putnam County man was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

According to court documents, on November 15, 2020, a trooper with the West Virginia State Police arrested Dennis Wayne Snyder, 31, on an outstanding warrant.  The arrest took place at a gas station in Nitro. The trooper searched the vehicle Snyder was in and found approximately 221 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 31 grams of heroin. Snyder also had digital scales, plastic bags, and $2,842 in his possession.

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, which is comprised of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department and the Marshall University Police Department.  The West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West provide investigative support to the task force.  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 U.S. Attorneys Courtney L. Cremeans and Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00109.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Stanley Clark, 68, of Poca, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud Toyota of more than $4 million.  He will also be required to pay restitution to Toyota. 

According to court documents, Clark was employed as a transfer agent for a company contracted by Toyota to administer an extended warranty extension program where Toyota had offered to repurchase certain trucks for 150% of their value, so long as those trucks were owned by individual Toyota customers.  Clark admitted he was a participant in a fraudulent scheme whereby a Kentucky used car dealership, Big Blue Motor Sales, bought trucks at wholesale prices at auction, obtained hundreds of copies of Kentucky and West Virginia residents’ driver’s licenses, fraudulently titled the trucks in the name of those residents, and induced Toyota to repurchase the trucks at 150% of value.

Clark admitted that the execution of the scheme relied on him to coordinate fraudulent truck repurchase meetings, work with a notary to forge the false owners’ signatures on truck repurchase documentation, and mail the fraudulent repurchase documentation that induced Toyota to repurchase the trucks. Clark received a cash payment from Big Blue Motor Sales for every fraudulent transaction. The scheme participants ran 350 trucks through the scheme between 2013 and 2015, causing approximately $4.3 million in losses to Toyota.  Clark pleaded guilty to mail fraud in February 2020.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence and noted that a term of imprisonment was appropriate in this case because the fraud scheme was not a short term operation and it involved hundreds of crimes completed over and over again.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

Former Assistant United States Attorney Stefan Hasselblad and Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman and Steven I. Loew are handling the prosecution.

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-00028.   

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to one year and three  months in federal prison for prohibited possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, Kevlin Jerrod Jackson, 41, previously admitted that on May 12, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence located on 7th Street in Huntington.  Jackson, who was present just prior to the search, was arrested after investigators seized a .45 caliber pistol and a 9mm pistol from his residence.  Jackson later admitted that he possessed the firearms, that he was a convicted felon, and that he used another individual to purchase the firearms on his behalf.  Jackson was convicted of distributing cocaine in 2011 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and was prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of his conviction.   

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

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

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-00091.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Franklin Delano Chafin, 32, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 18, 2019, a law enforcement officer responded to a reported drug complaint at a residence on 23rd Street in Huntington.  Upon leaving the residence, the officer came across Chafin who had been riding a bicycle and wearing a backpack. The officer and Chafin spoke, at which time the defendant refused to keep his hand out of his pocket. Chafin then admitted that he had needles on him that he wasn’t supposed to have because he was on probation. Chafin further admitted that there was a gun in his backpack. The officer searched the backpack and recovered a loaded .357 Magnum Ruger revolver. Chafin is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his 2009 felony convictions for robbery in the 1st degree in Wayne County Circuit Court and burglary in Cabell County Circuit Court.

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

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

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. 3:19-cr-00200.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, Parrish Wayne Spurlock, 54, sold a confidential informant 0.8 grams of suspected fentanyl on May 11, 2021. The drug transaction took place behind Spurlock’s Huntington residence on  North High Street. Testing by the West Virginia State Police Lab confirmed the substance was fentanyl. Spurlock admitted to law enforcement officers that he had sold significant amounts of methamphetamine and heroin over an approximate one year period.   

Spurlock faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 6, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.

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-00250.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Raleigh County woman pleaded guilty today to a federal fraud charge.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Wanda Jane Goode, 42, of Shady Spring, was a cashier at a supermarket located in Beaver that sold Visa prepaid debit cards.  As a cashier, part of Goode’s job was to activate these prepaid cards. From April 2019 to September 2019, Goode fraudulently activated numerous prepaid cards for her own personal use.  During the scheme, Goode made more than $87,000 in fraudulent purchases or payments with the prepaid cards.  Pursuant to her plea agreement, Goode will pay $87,265.50 in restitution.

Goode pleaded guilty to wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on June 16, 2022.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-00008.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Cayla Danielle Lindsay, 28, of Beckley, was sentenced today to five years and nine months in federal prison for using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Lindsay admitted that on July 23, 2020 during a traffic stop of a car she was driving in Beckley, law enforcement officers found approximately 27 grams of heroin that she intended to distribute.  The officers also found a Springfield, XDS 9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol Lindsay was carrying at the time.  Lindsay also admitted that on May 6, 2021, she possessed a SCCY, CPX-2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol.  The firearm was found during a search law enforcement conducted at her residence in Beckley.  Lindsay acknowledged that at the time she possessed the firearm she knew she had been previously convicted in federal court of the felony offense of distribution of oxycodone, and was prohibited from possessing firearms. 

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

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

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-00090.   

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit, Michigan man was sentenced to two years in prison for distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine.   

According to court documents, Durran Merille Garland, 28, sold an ounce of cocaine to a confidential informant for $1,000 on March 13, 2018 in Huntington.  Garland admitted to selling methamphetamine to the same confidential informant on two other occasions.  During a search of Garland’s Huntington residence in April 2018, law enforcement officers recovered an M&P .40 Caliber Shield handgun.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Jeffrey handled the prosecution.

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-00004.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Huntington men who participated in a multi-state drug ring appeared today in federal court.

Aaron Scott Midkiff, 36, was sentenced to six years and five months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 14, 2021, Midkiff  was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. Midkiff had approximately 166 grams of methamphetamine in his possession at the time deputies initiated the traffic stop. The methamphetamine was thrown out of the vehicle just prior to the vehicle stopping and was recovered by deputies. Midkiff also had digital scales, plastic bags, and $6,617 in his possession.

William Edward Nellons, Jr., 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.  According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Nellons admitted that he participated with others in the conspiracy from April to July 2021.  During the conspiracy, Nellons regularly received cocaine and fentanyl which he distributed to others in the Huntington area.  At times, Nellons received the drugs on consignment and returned drug proceeds to his source of supply after he conducted the distributions.  Nellons also admitted that he utilized a co-conspirator’s residence to store fentanyl that he distributed during the conspiracy.  Nellons faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 23, 2022.   

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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Cremeans and Joseph F. Adams are 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. 3:21-cr-00109.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to four counts of distribution of cocaine.

According to 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 Jimmy John’s sandwich shop in Charleston and D’Arco’s residence.

D’Arco faces up to 80 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 25, 2022.

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. presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nowles Heinrich is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00263.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A man involved in a drive-by shooting on Charleston’s West Side in February 2020 was sentenced to seven years in prison on a federal firearm charge.  Ronald Edward Tinsley, 49, of Charleston, previously pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. 

According to court documents, on or about February 25, 2020, Tinsley was driving a vehicle on the west end of Charleston when officers with the Charleston Police Department attempted to stop him for a traffic violation.  In response, Tinsley fled at a high rate of speed for several blocks until he crashed into a building in the 1200 block of 6th Street.  As Tinsley exited the vehicle, he kicked a Makarov 9x18mm semi-automatic pistol underneath the vehicle.  This firearm had previously been stolen, and Tinsley knew or had reason to know that it was stolen at the time he possessed it.  Tinsley had been the driver of a vehicle during a drive-by shooting on the West Side of Charleston the night before and the firearm he possessed was used in the shooting.  Through the use of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), law enforcement officers were able to confirm that spent shell cases recovered at the scene of the shooting matched the Makarov pistol that Tinsley possessed.

Tinsley has a long criminal history to include prior federal convictions related to controlled substance distribution, as well as prior convictions for burglary and malicious assault in Kanawha County Circuit Court.  Tinsley’s burglary conviction was the result of him forcibly entering a residence and threatening the occupants with a firearm over an unpaid drug debt in 2012.  He was released from his prison sentence on the burglary conviction on February 16, 2020, just nine days before he committed the offense involved in today’s sentencing.    

“My office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to remove the most violent offenders from our communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  “As the conviction and significant sentence in this case demonstrates, it is through excellent teamwork and the utilization of NIBIN technology that we will accomplish our goal. ATF and the Charleston Police Department are to be commended for bringing this repeat violent offender to justice.”

“ATF has no greater mission than keeping firearms out of the hands of violent criminals,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division. “Together, with our partners at the Charleston Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office, we will continue to work tirelessly to bring those who disregard the safety of our communities to justice.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation.

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

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.

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-00133.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man pleaded guilty today to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

According to statements made in court, Lawrence Lee Hart, 61, of Glen Daniel, contacted another user on a dating app on October 1, 2021. Hart was told that the girl was only 13 years old and located in Beckley. After learning the girl’s age and that she was a virgin, Hart offered to teach her about sex. Over the next month, Hart engaged in extensive text and phone conversations with the girl during which he instructed her on masturbation, oral sex, and sexual intercourse. He also asked her to send him a sexually explicit image of herself and sent sexually explicit photographs of himself. On November 5, 2021, Hart was arrested when he went to meet the minor to engage in sexual activity.

Hart faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in June 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00254.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty to producing child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Brian Wayne Shaffer, 51, admitted that he used his cell phone to photograph the female genitalia of a prepubescent minor who he was living with in August 2021. Shaffer further admitted that he used his cell phone to upload the photo of the nude minor and sent it to another individual who Shaffer had been communicating with on YouTube. Shaffer admitted he uploaded the photograph using his Gmail address on or about August 24, 2021.  At the time Shaffer produced child pornography of the prepubescent minor, he previously had been convicted of first degree sexual assault of another prepubescent female in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

Shaffer faces a sentence of at least 25 years and up to 50 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 16, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott is prosecuting the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00195.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Artie Ray Warwick, Jr., 53, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.

According to court documents, Warwick admitted that on March 2, 2020 law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence in Beckley.  During the search, officers found in excess of 300 grams of methamphetamine, a small amount of heroin, cocaine, and an assortment of prescription pills.  Warwick admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine in and around Raleigh County. The officers also recovered 104 marijuana plants which Warwick was growing inside his house.  As part of the plea, defendant also admitted to being in possession of over 800 grams of methamphetamine on October 25, 2021, that he admitted he intended to distribute in and around Beckley, and to selling small quantities of marijuana. 

Warwick pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine and faces not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 10, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.  The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit is comprised 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.

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-00230.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An Alabama man was sentenced today to one year in prison for escape to run consecutively to the federal sentence he is currently serving.

According to court documents, Jonathan Felts, 32, admitted he left Dismas Charities, Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility in St. Albans, without permission and did not return. Felts had been confined at Dismas because of a previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.  Assistant U.S. 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-00179.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Floyd Dermonta Ramsey, 42, of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana.

According to court documents and statements made in court,  Ramsey admitted to entering Parkersburg on August 31, 2021, in possession of approximately 98 pills containing fentanyl, 62.83 grams of cocaine, and approximately three pounds of marijuana.  These substances were seized by a law enforcement officer in connection with a traffic stop.  Ramsey admitted he intended to distribute these controlled substances to other people. 

Ramsey faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 18, 2022. 

Robert Sanders, Jr., still faces federal charges as a result of the nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” Ambera Roberts, Era Dawn Corder, Matthew Edward Depew, and Carlo Ramsey, all of Parkersburg, previously entered guilty pleas in this case and await sentencing.  Also as a result of the investigation, more than a dozen individuals were arrested on state charges 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 (KY) Sheriff’s Department, the Russell (KY) Police Department and the Raceland (KY) Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. 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-00163.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former Logan County resident pleaded guilty today to a federal wiretapping charge.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Randall Dwight Holden II, 33, admitted to secretly recording a video of a woman engaged in sexually explicit conduct in her Logan County home on November 25, 2017. The video was later uploaded to the internet without the victim’s knowledge. The video was one of several secretly recorded videos that Holden had created and posted online depicting the victim.

Holden is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2022 and he faces up to five years in prison.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald 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-00006.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the destruction of an energy facility.

According to court documents, Earnest Wriston, 56, of Pax,  pleaded guilty to damaging  and stealing specialized equipment from a coal mine located across Boone and Lincoln counties.

Wriston pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the destruction of an energy facility. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2022 and faces up to five years in prison.

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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Robeson is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00269.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, during the summer of 2021, Angie Lane Harbour, 40, was a drug courier in a multi-state 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 and two co-conspirators were returning from a resupply trip to Columbus, Ohio when they were stopped by police in Cross Lanes.  Police seized approximately one pound of methamphetamine from the vehicle.   

Harbour is one of seventeen defendants charged as a result of this investigation. James Edward Bennett and Denise Marie Cottrill are scheduled to plead guilty on February 22, 2022. Brian Dangelo Terry and Jason Robert Oxley are scheduled to plead guilty on March 14, 2022.  

Harbour pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and faces up to 20 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on May 16, 2022.

United States Attorney William S. 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, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is handling the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-171, and 2:21-cr-211.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Curtis Givens, 52, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to federal drug and gun crimes.

According to court documents, Givens admitted selling fentanyl to a confidential informant on two separate occasions in November 2020. The drug transactions occurred at Givens’ residence in Charleston. During one of the controlled buys, Givens also sold the confidential informant two firearms.

Givens pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 9, 2022.

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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.

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-00166.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mario Lavonta Ward, 46, of Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.

According to court documents, Ward admitted that on June 8, 2021 he sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $200. The drug transaction occurred near Beckley. Ward also admitted that on this same date, officers executed a search warrant at the residence where the drug transaction had occurred.  During the execution of the search warrant, officers found additional quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, a firearm and $6,500 in cash.  The cash recovered included the $200 used by the confidential informant to purchase the fentanyl.  As part of the plea, Ward agreed to forfeit the money and the firearm and also admitted that he knew was prohibited from possessing the firearm due to a prior felony conviction.

Ward pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 27, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.  The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit is comprised 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.

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-00229.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Michael Bryant, 62, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to federal drug and gun crimes.

According to court documents, Bryant admitted selling fentanyl to a confidential informant on three separate occasions in March 2021. The drug transactions occurred at his residence on Hunt Street in Beckley. 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.  Bryant admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of his two prior felony convictions for unlawful assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Bryant pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 19, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.  The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit is comprised 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar Kordestani is handling the prosecution.

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-00199.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty today to a federal firearm charge.  

According to statements made in court, on or about January 26, 2021, Shawn Mackenzie Tant, 43, was in possession of a Harrington and Richardson .38 caliber revolver.  Tant was sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked in front of a retail establishment on the south side of Parkersburg when he had contact with officers from the Parkersburg Police Department.  The firearm was located by officers on the dash of the vehicle near the windshield. Tant admitted that he knew he was not legally permitted to possess a firearm due to three prior felony convictions in Wood County Circuit Court for delivery of a controlled substance. Tant has a long criminal history to include three domestic battery convictions as well as convictions for domestic assault, battery, and battery of a police officer.

Tant pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 12, 2022.

United States Attorney William S. 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. presided over the hearing.   Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.

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-00232.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Walker, 29, of Ceredo, pleaded guilty today to distribution of heroin.

According to the plea agreement and statements made during the hearing, Walker admitted that on March 8, 2021, he met an informant in the driveway of his residence on D Street in Ceredo and sold the informant one ounce of heroin for $2,750. 

Walker faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 23, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing.  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-00115.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national man pleaded guilty today to the felony offense of reentry of a removed alien. Sergio Chavez-Nieto, 44, was found guilty by the Court and sentenced to a “time served” sentence, having spent almost three months in federal custody.  Chavez-Nieto was subsequently remanded to ICE custody for possible removal proceedings from the United States. 

According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, on November 9, 2021, Chavez-Nieto was found in Parkersburg by members of ICE who had identified him during the course of an investigation.  ICE agents spoke to the defendant to confirm his identity. Chavez-Nieto admitted being in the United States illegally and had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.  Chavez-Nieto was placed under arrest.

Fingerprinting matched Chavez-Nieto to five prior removals from the United States: three voluntary removals in 2000, one administrative removal in 2010 and another administrative removal in 2014.  Chavez-Nieto has a 2003 state felony conviction for possession of cocaine in Winston Salem, North Carolina and also a 2014 federal misdemeanor conviction for illegal entry in Laredo, Texas.  Chavez-Nieto never obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Chavez-Nieto further admitted to ICE agents that he was a Mexican citizen.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Parkersburg Police Department Street Crimes Unit and the United States Marshals Service.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for the prosecution.

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-00247.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography crime.

According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, Nicholas Wilds, 38, admitted that he distributed child pornography using Kik, an online messaging application. Wilds also admitted that he used the messaging app to encourage another user to take sexually explicit photographs of a child. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Wilds’ residence and found over 300 images of child pornography.

Wilds pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 16, 2022.  

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 presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie White is prosecuting the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-00005.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national who was in the United States illegally was  sentenced today to time served, or nine months and 298 days, in federal prison. David Ferrusquia-Sanchez, 38, previously pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 22, 2021, law enforcement officers pulled over a vehicle on I-64 in Putnam County that lacked registration and was following a tractor trailer too closely. The driver, identified as Ferrusquia-Sanchez, provided a passport and a driver’s license, both of Mexican origin. Officers also learned that Ferrusquia-Sanchez had an active warrant for driving under revocation. A canine unit arrived on scene and alerted to the vehicle.  A search of the vehicle yielded a loaded 9mm Sportarms pistol in a duffel bag behind the driver’s seat. Ferrusquia-Sanchez admitted that he had not been given any legal status in the United States.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Hurricane Police Department.

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

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-00061.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Logan man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on January 26, 2021, at the residence of Brian Dometric Knox, 37, in Cross Lanes. During the search, officers found approximately 79 grams of methamphetamine. Knox admitted that he possessed and intended to sell the methamphetamine. Knox also admitted that from December 1, 2020 to January 22, 2021, he sold approximately one ounce of methamphetamine every week.

Knox pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 11, 2022.  

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. presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00170.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  A Huntington man caught last year with cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, pleaded guilty today.  

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Donald Duane Cole, 51, admitted that he was present when agents executed a search warrant at his residence on 9th Avenue in Huntington on July 29, 2021.  Cole admitted to agents that he was in possession of crack cocaine and agents seized crack cocaine during the search.  Cole admitted that he intended to sell the crack cocaine.  Cole further admitted that he participated with others in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl in the Huntington area between April and July 2021. 

Cole pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 16, 2022.   

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. 

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams 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. 3:22-cr-00007.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dana Stevenson, 30, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of ammunition in connection with a shooting that occurred in Charleston. In connection with a separate incident, Stevenson also pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl in South Charleston.

According to statements made in court, Stevenson illegally possessed 9mm caliber ammunition on July 5, 2021. The ammunition was recovered at the scene of a shooting that occurred in broad daylight at Central and Glenwood Avenues on Charleston’s West Side. Stevenson is prohibited from possessing ammunition due to his 2018 federal convictions in the Southern District of West Virginia for the felony offenses of distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of a school and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Approximately five weeks later on August 12, 2021, members of the South Charleston Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Stevenson and Stevenson fled at a high rate of speed. Stevenson was eventually apprehended and officers recovered approximately 38 grams of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia from the vehicle. The quantity of fentanyl and presence of certain paraphernalia established that Stevenson intended to distribute the drug. 

Stevenson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 2, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Stephanie S. Taylor are prosecuting 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-00161.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  An Akron man who participated in a multi-state methamphetamine conspiracy was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison.  Dennis Deire Mosely, Jr., 35, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Mosley admitted that he participated in the conspiracy during the month of July 2019.  Mosley admitted that he and another individual made arrangements to acquire methamphetamine in the Columbus, Ohio area.  On July 24, 2019, Mosley and the other individual traveled from Akron to Columbus and acquired at least three pounds of methamphetamine.  The other individual then delivered the methamphetamine to an individual in Sissonville the next day.  Mosley admitted that he knew the methamphetamine would be distributed in the Southern District of West Virginia when he helped acquire it. 

“Meth is a significant public safety threat in our communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “That’s why my office and our law enforcement partners are collectively focused on shutting down meth trafficking organizations and holding meth traffickers accountable.”  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force conducted the investigation.  Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams 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. 3:19-cr-00246.

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Department Strategy Supports National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking

CHARLESTON,  W.Va.  --  U.S.  Attorney  General  Merrick  B.  Garland  this  week  released  the  
Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for 
Victims of Trafficking Act.

Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat 
Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's 
National Strategy is expansive in scope.  It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent  human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human  trafficking victims and survivors.

“Human  trafficking  is  an  insidious  crime,”  said  Attorney  General  Garland.  “Traffickers   exploit  and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims  unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will  bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”

“We have joined forces across the state to protect our citizens from human traffickers,” said 
United States Attorney  Will  Thompson.  “Investigators,  prosecutors,  victim  advocates  and   non-governmental  service providers are working together through the West Virginia Human 
Trafficking Task Force to raise awareness about human trafficking, investigate and prosecute human  trafficking cases and support survivors.”

“We are taking a more proactive approach to combat human trafficking in West Virginia than ever  before through the use of technology and via partnerships with law enforcement,” said United States 
Attorney Ihlenfeld. “This new strategy will allow us to help more victims and to prosecute more  offenders.”

Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human  trafficking will:

▪     Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking  by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
▪     Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that  support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
▪     Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention,  resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
▪     Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska 
Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
▪     Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human  trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important  information.
▪     Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors,  including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
▪     Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and  expertise.
▪     Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.

The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking 
Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act  of 2017.

If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact  the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To learn more about the West Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force, go to  www.stophumantraffickingwv.org.

To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Russell Loar, Jr., 40, of Washington, Pennsylvania, pleaded  guilty today to traveling in interstate commerce to engage in sexual activity with a minor.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, on May 27, 2021, Loar traveled from Washington, Pennsylvania, to Clay County, West Virginia to have sex with a 14-year-old minor. Loar had been communicating with the minor via Snapchat for nearly a year, and his communications with her were sexual. The minor’s parents had learned about his communications, informed him of her age, but his communications continued. When Loar traveled to Clay County, he met with the minor and invited her into his truck.  The minor’s mother happened to be driving by and intervened.  After he was subsequently arrested, Loar admitted to sending a pornographic picture to the minor as well as telling her that he wanted to perform sex acts with her. 

If the plea agreement is accepted by the Court, Loar will be sentenced to between 87 months to 108 months in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release when he is sentenced on May 4, 2022. He also will be required to register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s West Virginia Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00141.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  Two men who participated in a drug ring and distributed various drugs in Huntington appeared today in federal court.  William Raeshaun Byrd, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.  Christopher Leon Vest, 33, also of Huntington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Vest faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 16, 2022.

According to the plea agreements and statements made in court, Byrd and Vest both admitted that they participated in the conspiracy from the summer of 2020 to July 2021.  During the conspiracy, Byrd frequently received shipments of fentanyl and cocaine which were transported from Columbus, Ohio to Huntington by vehicle.  For each shipment, Byrd received a minimum of 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 1 kilogram of cocaine.  The drugs were provided to Byrd on consignment and Byrd would pay for the drugs after he distributed them in Huntington.  Byrd further admitted that he operated two residences in Huntington as locations to accept the shipments and distribute the drugs.  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, Byrd and Vest were arrested after an indictment was returned charging multiple individuals in the investigation and search warrants were executed at both men’s  residences on that date. Law enforcement officers seized a number of items including two firearms and over $113,000 in United States currency at Byrd’s residence.  Byrd admitted that he possessed the firearms and that the money constituted proceeds from drug sales.  Law enforcement officers seized a number of items including four firearms and over $86,000 in United States currency from Vest’s residence.  Vest admitted that he possessed the firearms and that the money constituted proceeds from drug sales.  Search warrants were also executed at the two residences operated by Vest.  During those searches, 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.   

To date, seven defendants have been convicted as result of the investigation. 

“Thanks to the excellent work of the FBI and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force, this drug ring was shut down,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  “Byrd and Vest, who were distributing significant amounts of deadly drugs, will no longer be endangering the public.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force conducted the investigation. 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 presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans are handling the prosecutions.

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-00109.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to federal gun and drug crimes he committed while he was an inmate at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville.

According to court documents, on June 14, 2021, Jacob Benjamin Loper, 20, an inmate at the Western Regional Jail, 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 $1500 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. 

Loper pleaded guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute suboxone and conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 9, 2022.

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 Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Investigation Division.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.

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-00215.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A McDowell County man pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Timothy Edwards, 25, of Yaeger, admitted that from April 2020 through February 2021 he engaged in sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl.  During that time frame, he produced multiple videos of himself engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor. He also directed the minor to produce and send sexually explicit videos of herself to him. Edwards additionally caused the minor to engage in live video chats during which she would send video of herself masturbating.

Edwards faces at least 15 and up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 2, 2022.

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 presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.

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-00186.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  Travis Lee Hanshaw, 49, of Culloden, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on June 15, 2018, Hanshaw sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant. The transaction took place at Hanshaw’s residence in Culloden.  

Hanshaw faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 9, 2022.   

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

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

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-00198.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Eric Lee Flack, 43, of Bluefield, pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.

According to court documents, Flack admitted that on July 28, 2020 he sold approximately one pound of methamphetamine for $5,600 to an undercover informant working with law enforcement. Flack also admitted to selling quantities of hydromorphone to the same undercover informant on two separate occasions in September and November 2020 receiving approximately $3,500 for each transaction.  Each drug transaction occurred in Bluefield, West Virginia.

Flack pleaded guilty to distribution of more than 50 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine and faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 2, 2022.

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 is comprised 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.

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-00255.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Foster Allen Ray, 72, of Gandeeville, was sentenced today to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 9, 2020, Ray shot a loaded Savage Model 99 300 caliber level action rifle from over 100 feet away at two people inside a truck trapped on his property to “scare them.”  The bullet lodged inside the truck but avoided hitting the driver or front seat passenger. Ray is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions in Roane County Circuit Court for unlawful assault and child abuse by a custodian resulting in injury.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is handling the prosecution.

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-00024.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Edward Paul Potter, 42, of Bradley, pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Potter’s Bradley residence 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. 

Potter pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and faces up to 20 years imprisonment when he is sentenced on May 6, 2022.

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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner is handling the prosecution.

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-00167.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty today to escape from a federal halfway house.

According to court documents, Joshua Dowler, 39, admitted that he walked away from Dismas Charities on September 16, 2021. Dowler was confined to the halfway house as a result of a 2019 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The United States Marshals Service later apprehended Dowler in Parkersburg.

Dowler pleaded guilty to escape and faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on May 12, 2022.

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 presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani 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-00256.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Fayette County man pleaded guilty today to distributing methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Andrew Daniel Sprinkle, 34, admitted that on two separate occasions in September 2020 he sold methamphetamine to an undercover informant working with law enforcement. Sprinkle also admitted that on September 21, 2020, he was in possession of a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol when he sold the methamphetamine to the undercover informant. Sprinkle knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearms due to prior felony convictions in the state of North Carolina.

Sprinkle faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 when he is sentenced on May 6, 2022.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00149.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Chesapeake, Ohio, woman was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for stealing federal funds from River Valley Child Development Services (“RVCDS”), a non-profit organization located in Huntington. RVCDS provides programs, services, and support to children and families in the region.

Ruth Marie Phillips, also known as Marie Phillips, 69, worked at RVCDS from December 1986 until September 2020 and held various positions at the non-profit organization. Phillips served as Director of Business and Finance and was responsible for all financial operations, including monitoring accounts receivable, creating and submitting invoices, reconciling bank accounts and issuing checks. From July 1, 2016, to on or about June 30, 2017, RVCDS received approximately $7,131,756 in federal funding and Phillips used her position of trust and authority to steal approximately $964,012 during that period.

Phillips further admitted that between December 2013 and August 2020, she stole approximately $4,721,731 from RVCDS.  During that period, she sent $1,142,500 to her personal checking account and sent another $3,395,500 to Attitude Aviation’s bank account.  Attitude Aviation has offices at Lawrence County Airpark in South Point, Ohio, and Tri-State Airport in Huntington and provides aeronautical services, including fueling, rental of hangar space, aircraft rental, flight instruction and maintenance.

In sentencing Phillips, the Court departed upward from the sentencing guidelines, noting that the guideline range failed to account for the substantial harm Phillips caused the non-profit in the community and the impact Phillips’ theft had on taxpayers.

To assist with restitution, Phillips has agreed to forfeit substantial assets, including $304,576.49 in proceeds from the sale of a lake house at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia that she bought during her scheme to defraud the non-profit, $169,954.58 in proceeds from the sale of a Randolph County property, $322,288.50 in proceeds from the sale of two airplanes, her Chesapeake, Ohio, residence, several vehicles including a Lexus RX and a Chevrolet Corvette, and four additional airplanes that are anticipated to sell soon. As of the date of sentencing, Phillips has forfeited approximately $868,561.44, which both parties anticipate applying to her ultimate restitution debt. The full amount of restitution will be determined at a hearing on April 4, 2022.

“Phillips stole millions of dollars meant for families and children in the Huntington area for her own personal use.  It doesn’t get much worse than stealing from children,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  “I am thankful for the work of our law enforcement partners and my staff which resulted in a substantial sentence for Phillips and ensured that she will pay restitution to the nonprofit.”   

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia State Police, the Central West Virginia Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Lawrence County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office, and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott prosecuted the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson is handling the forfeiture of Phillips’ many assets.

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-00135.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  Two Huntington men who participated in a drug ring distributing various drugs, including methamphetamine and cocaine, pleaded guilty today in federal court.  Edward Shane Midkiff, 34, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and Mark Anthony Chandler, 30, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

According to the plea agreements and statements made in court, on January 12, 2021, Midkiff was contacted by a confidential informant to arrange a methamphetamine purchase.  Midkiff directed the informant to come to the 500 block of 4th Avenue in Huntington to complete the transaction.  At that location, Midkiff met with the informant in a vehicle where he sold the informant methamphetamine. 

On June 30, 2021, Chandler received approximately one-half kilogram of cocaine from another individual in Huntington.  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. 

Midkiff and Chandler both face up to 20 years in federal prison when they are sentenced on May 9, 2022.   

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 presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans are handling the prosecutions.

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-00109.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  Jabar Markeith Sellers, 39, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, law enforcement officers were conducting surveillance on a residence on Norway Avenue 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, and a firearm was found in plain view in the driver’s door panel. Sellers is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of a previous felony conviction in Ohio.

Sellers pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and he faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 2, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.

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-00120.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Toledo, Ohio man pleaded guilty today to federal drug and gun crimes.

According to court documents, La Percy Allen, 42, admitted that on multiple occasions in July and August 2021, he sold a total of approximately 30 grams of fentanyl and 53 grams of heroin to an undercover informant working with law enforcement. Allen also admitted that on August 10, 2021, he was in possession of approximately 53 grams of fentanyl that he intended to sell and a loaded firearm. Allen is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a 2013 felony conviction in Ohio for trafficking heroin.

Allen pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 13, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00154 and 5:22-cr-00002.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Andrew Allen Arnold, 34, of White Sulphur Springs, pleaded guilty today a federal gun crime.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Arnold was involved in an altercation at a gas station in White Sulphur Springs on May 7, 2019. Law enforcement officers responded to the disturbance at the gas station and found Arnold shouting at and threatening a female who had barricaded herself in the gas station bathroom. Upon searching Arnold, law enforcement officers found a loaded Charter Arms “Pink Lady” .38 Special revolver in his front pants pocket.  Arnold admitted that the serial number markings on the firearm had been obliterated and that he was prohibited from possessing the firearm as a result of a 2016 felony conviction in the Circuit Court of Allegheny, Virginia.

Arnold pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 13, 2022. 

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 White Sulphur Springs Police Department. 

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Jeffrey is handling the prosecution.

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-00197.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Nedeltcho Vladimirov, 53, a native of Bulgaria, was sentenced today to eight years and one month in federal prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and money laundering.  A federal jury convicted Vladimirov after a three-day trial in July 2021 of one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and three counts of money laundering.

Evidence at trial revealed that Vladimirov operated a fraudulent fencing operation - a scheme in which stolen goods were acquired in order to resell them for profit to an unsuspecting buyer. Vladimirov bought the items he resold at a small fraction of the retail cost from individuals addicted to heroin, known in the fencing scheme as “boosters.” Vladimirov met the “boosters” at a gas station in Cross Lanes where he bought new items such as high end vacuum cleaners, tools and other items that he later resold on his eBay account.  The investigation revealed that Vladimirov sold over 7,000 items on his eBay account and had over $594,000 in sales over a three-year period. The “boosters” used the cash provided by Vladimirov for the stolen items to support their drug habits. A federal search warrant executed at Vladimirov’s residence by the United States Secret Service on February 10, 2020, revealed that he had set up cleaning stations used to  remove security devices and labels from boxes so that the stolen items could not be traced.

“Shutting down this fencing operation and bringing Vladimirov to justice was a significant team effort,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I cannot overstate the value of the collaboration between our law enforcement partners and the Organized Retail Crime (ORC) investigators from the stores victimized in this fencing scheme.  I applaud the entire team for their efforts to hold Vladimirov accountable and to protect both retailers and consumers from further harm.”

“The Secret Service is dedicated to protecting our nation’s financial institutions and corporations that operate within the Southern District of West Virginia,” said United States Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge Robert Pyle.  “I appreciate our law enforcement partners at the South Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations, whose work helped secure this successful outcome.  Our partnership with the Organized Retail Crime (ORC) investigators from Kroger, Target and CVS Pharmacy was instrumental in this case as well.”

“We are grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of West Virginia, federal, state and local law enforcement, other retailers, and our loss prevention specialist who helped bring Mr. Vladimirov to justice,” said Corporate Affairs Manager James McNees, Mid-Atlantic Division, The Kroger Company.  “Partnerships like these are integral to the vitality of our operations and safety of our customers.” 

The United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Putnam County Sheriff's Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and the South Charleston Police Department, as well as the Organized Retail Crimes (ORC) investigators from Kroger, CVS Pharmacy and Target Corporation.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman and Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.   

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-00054.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man, Trevor Davis, 29, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, on January 9, 2020, Davis met an informant in the parking lot of the Wendy’s restaurant on 16th Street in Huntington.  Davis admitted to selling the informant one pound of methamphetamine for $4,000. 

Davis faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 2, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.

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-00177.

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