Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to five years in prison for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Shawn Le, 28, sold fentanyl, a .22 caliber revolver and 214 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on February 19, 2021.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Steve Loew 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. 2:21-cr-00156.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Denzil Weatherspoon, 29, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to a single-count indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Weatherspoon ran from officers with the Charleston Police Department on February 4, 2020.  Upon  detaining Weatherspoon, officers recovered a loaded .22 caliber revolver in his jacket pocket.  Weatherspoon is prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of his prior felony convictions.  Weatherspoon has a 2016 felony conviction for aggravated assault in the Circuit Court of Davidson County, Tennessee and a 2014 felony conviction for unlawful wounding in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia.

Weatherspoon faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 5, 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 Charleston Police Department. 

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller 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. 2:20-cr-00138.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Jones, 52, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to two counts of aggravated identity theft, in relation to defrauding a local bank and two elderly residents in the Southern District of West Virginia.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Jones admitted that an elderly female from Clendenin hired him to do mold remediation and other handyman services at a Clendenin property that belonged to another elderly woman of advanced age. Jones admitted that he obtained blank checks belonging to the elderly homeowner and forged the signature of the woman who hired him. He wrote himself checks in this manner multiple times, in amounts payable of $7,000 and $8,500. Jones then deposited these falsified checks at the Hurricane branch of a local bank, where he had a checking account. Jones admitted that neither woman was aware that he used their personal identifiers in his efforts to obtain money from the bank. As part of his plea agreement, Jones agreed that he owes the bank $25,000 in restitution as a result of his offense and relevant conduct.

“I appreciate the excellent work of the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office-Consumer Protection Division that secured this conviction,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.

“Contractors who defraud consumers must be held accountable, and I’m proud of my office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the State Police for doing just that,” Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said. “The state’s consumer protection laws require contractors to do professional work, and our office will vigorously pursue con artists who try to operate outside of the law.”

Jones faces four years in prison when he is sentenced on April 25, 2022. Jones also faces pending state charges in Jackson, Lewis, Lincoln, and Putnam Counties in connection with  additional fraud schemes.  

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00132.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  A Kentucky man was sentenced to prison today for his involvement in a fentanyl distribution ring operating in the Huntington area.  Leonard Brandon Joe Rice, 35, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.   

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on May 24, 2021, Rice used a telephone to arrange the purchase of fentanyl in Huntington.  Rice then traveled from Louisa, Kentucky to Huntington where he received the fentanyl.  When Rice returned to Louisa, he was stopped by a trooper with the Kentucky State Police who seized the fentanyl Rice purchased.  Rice admitted that he received fentanyl in Huntington from the beginning of 2020 through July of 2021.  During that period, Rice redistributed some of the fentanyl he purchased in Huntington to other individuals in the Louisa, Kentucky area. 

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the 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. 3:21-cr-00109.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. - An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) at Beckley was sentenced today for possessing a weapon at the correctional facility. Deontae Holmes, 25, was sentenced to one year in prison to run consecutively to the sentence he currently is serving.

According to court documents, FCI Beckley staff members found Holmes in possession of a shank on February 22, 2021.  The shank was a piece of metal approximately six inches long that was sharpened to a point on one end and had a rubberized tape handle on the other end.  The shank was found in Holmes’ pants pocket during a random pat search.  Holmes admitted that the shank was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess 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-00151.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for  distributing fentanyl.

According to court documents, Brian Vineyard, 49, sold approximately 3.5 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $450 on September 9, 2020. In imposing the sentence, the Court also found that Vineyard sold fentanyl to a confidential informant on September 14, 2020 and September 16, 2020. Officers then executed a search warrant on Vineyard’s home on September 21, 2020, and found fentanyl in a safe in the home meant for distribution. In all, the Court found Vineyard responsible for 66.73 grams of fentanyl.

“West Virginia is in an overdose crisis.  Overdose deaths are increasing in our state and most of them involve fentanyl,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “We are working vigorously alongside our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to hold fentanyl traffickers accountable for the harm they inflict upon West Virginia families. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Coleman, the FBI, MDENT and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office for their excellent work in this case and for taking another fentanyl dealer off of our streets.”   

This was Vineyard’s third federal felony drug trafficking conviction. As such, he was sentenced as a career offender.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman 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. 2:21-cr-00106.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley woman pleaded guilty today to a federal drug and gun crimes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to conduct a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Candice Nicole Long, also known as “Candace Long,” at her Beckley residence on February 25, 2020.  Long possessed a .380 handgun in her waistband at the time she sold approximately 1.5 grams of methamphetamine.  On February 28, 2020, officers executed a search warrant on her residence and recovered the firearm.   

Long pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and to carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.  Long faces up to 20 years on the drug charge and a consecutive, mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for the firearm charge when she is sentenced on April 29, 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-00228.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Rodney Alexander Minter and John Eric Dickson pleaded guilty today for their roles in the distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Rodney Alexander Minter, 62, of  Logan, admitted that on five separate occasions in 2020 and 2021, he sold methamphetamine to an undercover informant. Minter also admitted that on August 9, 2021, he possessed with the intent to distribute 104 grams of methamphetamine and eight grams of fentanyl. Minter pleaded guilty to distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.

John Eric Dickson, 58, of St. Albans, admitted that on January 5, 2021, he supplied Minter with methamphetamine to sell to an undercover informant. Dickson pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.

Minter and Dickson are scheduled to be sentenced on April 5, 2022. Minter faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison. Dickson faces up to 20 years in prison.

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-000169.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Codi Lee Douglas, 26, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Following his release from prison, Douglas will serve three years of supervised release.     

According to court documents and statements made in court, Douglas admitted to possessing an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle that law enforcement officers found in his vehicle during a traffic stop in Parkersburg on January 27, 2021.  Douglas is not legally permitted to possess firearms due to a 2016 conviction in Wood County Circuit Court for malicious assault.  The malicious assault conviction was the result of Douglas shooting another man in the face during a drug transaction in September 2015.  Douglas also has a prior conviction for battery.        

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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. 2:21-cr-00113.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man was sentenced today to 21 years and 10 months in prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Christopher Lee Foster, 36, of Oak Hill, previously pleaded guilty to the charge in September 2021.

According to the plea agreement, Foster admitted that in early March 2021 he initiated contact with a person via a messaging application. Believing this person to be a 13-year-old girl from New Jersey, Foster engaged in conversations over the next 2 months wherein he told the minor he wanted to meet her to engage in sexual activity. After learning that the girl was sexually inexperienced, Foster sent her pictures of his penis as well as numerous images and videos of pornography to teach her about sex. Foster also repeatedly pressured the minor to send him sexually explicit photographs of herself, even offering to pay her for such images. Foster further admitted that in approximately 2015 and 2016 he produced (or caused the production of) sexually explicit images of a different minor.

Following his release from prison, Foster will be required to serve a  20-year term of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.  

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald handled 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-00095.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Nigerian national who was indicted in April 2021 in connection with a large fraud and money laundering scheme pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

According to court documents and statements made in connection with the plea hearing, Kenneth Emeni, 29, a citizen of Nigeria residing in Martinsburg, was involved from at least August 2017 to October 8, 2020, with Kenneth Ogudu, also known as Kenneth Lee, John Nassy, Romello Thorpe, Oluwagbenga Harrison, Ouluwabamishe Awolesi, and others in a money laundering conspiracy that took place in Huntington and elsewhere.  Emeni lived in Huntington from August 2017 to December 2019.  As part of the scheme, Emeni’s co-conspirators created online false personas and contacted victims via email, text messaging or online dating and social media websites in order to induce the victims into believing they were in a romantic relationship, friendship or business relationship with various false personas. The victims were persuaded to send money for a variety of false and fraudulent reasons for the benefit of the false personas.

Emeni’s role in the conspiracy was to let victims transfer money to his bank account that he knew was from unlawful activity.  Emeni admitted that after the victims’ funds were deposited into his account, he kept some of the money for himself and forwarded some of the money to his co-conspirators via wire transfers or Zelle.  Emeni received approximately $42,050 from his co-conspirators’ transfers and transferred approximately $46,197 to his co-conspirators during the money laundering conspiracy. Emeni further admitted that he and his co-conspirators transferred large sums of their fraud proceeds to offshore accounts. From 2018 until 2020, Emeni transferred over $358,846 to accounts in Nigeria and Ghana.

Emeni faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 11, 2022.  As part of  his plea agreement, Emeni agreed to pay $904,126.96 in restitution.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorneys R. Gregory McVey and Kathleen Robeson are handling the prosecution.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-0068 (Emeni, et al).

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- A Huntington woman pleaded guilty today in connection with her role as a money mule in a Nigerian fraud scheme that scammed money from individuals, many of whom were elderly.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Patricia Dudding, 69, acted as a money mule for a Nigerian scammer. In May 2018, Dudding met “Lucas” online and although they never actually met in person, Dudding and Lucas communicated frequently by email and text messages.   Dudding set up numerous bank accounts in her name at several different banks that she would use to wire and receive fraudulent funds.  Dudding received numerous deposits in those bank accounts from individuals located in the United States and abroad.  She, and unnamed co-conspirators, would then transfer these funds to bank accounts located in Nigeria. To further the scheme, Dudding admittedly would make false and fraudulent representations to the financial institutions to make it appear that the wire transfers were being sent for legitimate purposes. On April 26, 2019, Dudding sent a wire transfer of $39,000 from her account to an individual in Montana. Upon questioning by a bank employee, Dudding lied about the wire transfer to aid Lucas in completing the transfer of funds to the designated recipient in Montana.

Over the course of the scheme, Dudding withdrew victim funds for her personal benefit. Dudding used the funds to pay her utility bills, satellite television service, groceries, drug store purchases, gasoline purchases, department store purchases, restaurants and took numerous cash withdrawals. 

Dudding pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an unlawful monetary transaction and faces up to 10 years in prison when she is sentenced on April 25, 2022.  As part of her plea agreement, Dudding has agreed to pay $1,788,589.24 in restitution.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) – Office of Inspector General and the South Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation.

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

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage.  Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.  The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.

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-00001.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  Two fentanyl traffickers appeared before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers in Huntington this week, announced United States Attorney Will Thompson.

According to court documents, James Lennon Pace, 33, of Huntington, was sentenced to a total of 13 years and eight months in federal prison.  On March 16, 2021, Huntington Police Officers executed a search warrant at Pace’s residence on Charleston Avenue in Huntington.  Pace was present just prior to the search and arrested on an unrelated warrant.  During the search, officers seized a number of items including fentanyl, three firearms, and items used to prepare fentanyl for distribution.  Pace admitted that he possessed the firearms and that he intended to distribute the fentanyl. Pace was on supervised release for a prior drug conviction at the time of the offense. In August 2021, Pace pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.

In a separate case, Martez D. Foy, 28, of Detroit, Michigan pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl.  According to court documents, Foy admitted that on March 10, 2021, he sold approximately five grams of fentanyl to an undercover informant. Foy also admitted that he sold an additional five grams of fentanyl to an undercover informant on April 13, 2021. Foy faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 11, 2022. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:21-cr-00104/3:16-cr-00065(Pace) and 3:21-cr-00222(Foy).

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit, Michigan man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, Augustus Darryl Jones, Jr., 30, arranged to distribute methamphetamine to a confidential informant on November 10, 2021 in Huntington.  When Jones was in route to conduct the drug transaction, a West Virginia State Police Trooper conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle and seized 460 grams of methamphetamine.  Jones admitted he possessed and intended to distribute the methamphetamine to the informant.

Jones pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 25, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.  

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00242.

###

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

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Nicholas Aaron Icenhour, 25, of Tazewell, Virginia admitted that in October and November 2020 he directed his then girlfriend, Lacosta Steele, to have a 12-year-old girl engage in sexually explicit conduct, including masturbation and the lascivious exhibition of her genitals, for the purpose of creating videos of this conduct. Icenhour admitted that Steele then sent those videos to him. Icenhour also admitted that during this same time frame he had Steele transport the same 12-year-old girl to R.D. Bailey Lake, where he engaged in sexual intercourse with the child.

Icenhour faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 4, 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-00187.

###

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Charles Boyett Mitchell, Jr., 35, of Princeton, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in federal prison for distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Mitchell sold a quantity of cocaine to a confidential informant in Princeton on May 7, 2018.  As part of the plea, Mitchell also admitted to distributing cocaine and methamphetamine on three other occasions, and to possessing a quantity of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute.  Law enforcement officers also recovered a small amount of U.S. currency and a firearm during the investigation.  

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess 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. 1:21-cr-00089.   

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kevan Curry, 49, of Huntington, was sentenced today to two years and 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Curry previously admitted that on November 18, 2020, officers with the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant at Curry’s residence on 20th Street in Huntington.  Officers seized a Comanche III .357 magnum revolver, a Browning .40 caliber handgun, and an American Tactical AR-15 rifle.  Curry is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because of a 2009 felony conviction in Cabell County.

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

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00114.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Carlo Ramsey, 56, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ramsey admitted to assisting Ambera Roberts and Era Dawn Corder in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg area by supplying them with methamphetamine on several occasions between June and September 2021.  Ramsey further admitted that he knew both Roberts and Corder were engaged in the distribution of methamphetamine during this period of time.

Ramsey faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 14, 2022.

Robert Sanders, Jr., and Floyd Dermonta Ramsey are still facing federal charges as a result of the nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming,” which also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.  Ambera Roberts, Era Dawn Corder, and Matthew Edward Depew, all of Parkersburg, previously entered guilty pleas in this case and await sentencing.   

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 Office, the Boyd County (KY) Sheriff’s Office, 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.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, Joe Butler, 32, aided and abetted Rance McNeil in the distribution of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on April 8, 2021 in Charleston. 

Butler pleaded guilty to distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 11, 2022. McNeil pleaded guilty in November 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 17, 2022.

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

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston 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-00258.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to transporting over $300,000 of stolen monies from West Virginia to Maryland.

According to court documents, Dhanraj Singh, 61, of Bowie, Maryland, worked at a local resort for many years. Singh admitted that from 2017 to 2020, he stole approximately $382,449 from the resort and routinely transported the stolen monies from West Virginia to Maryland.

Singh pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property and faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 8, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen E. 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 5:21-cr-00240.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2021, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to conduct a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Curtis Harris, 34, at his residence in Beckley.  Harris sold approximately 2.5 grams of fentanyl and a Cobra .380 handgun to the informant in the same transaction for $550.  On March 11, 2021, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to conduct a second controlled purchase of fentanyl from Harris.  Harris sold approximately 14 grams of fentanyl to the informant for $1400. 

Harris pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on April 8, 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-00148.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –   Ambera Roberts, 34, Matthew Edward Depew, 31, and Era Dawn Corder, 46, all of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 

According to court documents and statements made in court,  Roberts, Depew and Corder admitted to acquiring and re-distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in furtherance of the conspiracy.  This methamphetamine was acquired and re-distributed in the Parkersburg area between June and September 2021.  Roberts and Corder separately obtained several ounces of methamphetamine directly from Carlo Ramsey and distributed it to third party customers.  Depew acquired several pounds of methamphetamine directly from Robert Sanders, Jr., and distributed it to third party customers.    

Roberts faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on March 30, 2022.  Depew faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on March 24, 2022.  Corder faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on March 23, 2022. 

Carlo Ramsey, Robert Sanders, Jr., and Floyd Dermonta Ramsey are awaiting trial.

The nearly year-long investigation also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County. 

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

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to theft of government property.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Teddy Wayne Hale, Jr., 55, is a former employee of the United States Postal Service who worked at the vehicle maintenance facility in Huntington.  Hale admitted that from June 15, 2017 and continuing through September 28, 2018, he stole more than 71 vehicle tires from the Huntington vehicle maintenance facility.  Hale hid his thefts by using his position of employment to manipulate tire inventory.  After Hale stole the tires, he sold them for his personal financial benefit.

Hale faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 21, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General (OIG).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Blackwell is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00189.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Ravenna, Ohio man was sentenced today to eight years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Omarr Boone, 37, previously admitted that on March 9, 2021, officers with the Huntington Police Department responded to a shooting at the Shell Gas Station in Huntington.  After a vehicle pursuit, Boone was placed under arrest.  Officers searched Boone’s vehicle and found a stolen Smith and Wesson SD9 VE in the vehicle.  Boone has eight prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the sentencing.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00101.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit, Michigan man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 28, 2021, law enforcement officers were conducting surveillance on a Bernard Street residence in Huntington when they saw Marcellas Cortez Mitchell, 28, leave the residence in a vehicle.  Mitchell was driving with a revoked license and officers stopped the vehicle.  Upon approaching the vehicle, officers observed a front seat passenger making furtive movements. A search of the passenger resulted in two baggies containing approximately 11 grams and 8.7 grams of suspected heroin. Officers obtained a search warrant for the residence and found 46 grams of suspected heroin as well as drug paraphernalia.  Mitchell admitted that he had given the passenger the baggies to conceal. 

Mitchell pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 14, 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-00139.

###

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

According to court documents, Oji Williams, of Ann Arbor, admitted that on August 1, 2020, law enforcement officers seized over 200 grams of fentanyl from behind the glovebox of a vehicle in which he was a passenger, after conducting a traffic stop in Charleston.  Williams admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the fentanyl. Officers also seized two firearms from Williams’ home after he was arrested.

Williams pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 17, 2022. 

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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. 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-00025.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – David Ferrusquia-Sanchez, 36, a Mexican national who was in the United States illegally, pleaded guilty today to a federal gun charge.

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 K9 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.

Ferrusquia-Sanchez pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on February 7, 2022.

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

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-00061.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – The last of 17 defendants was sentenced for his participation in an extensive drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating between California and the Southern District of West Virginia.  Oyontikeyta V. Jones, 43, of Beckley, was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine and 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.   The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. 

According to court documents, between Junes 2018 and September 17, 2019, Jones worked with other members of a DTO to facilitate the distribution of methamphetamine in Raleigh County.  During this time period, Jones had methamphetamine shipped from California to the Southern District of West Virginia.  This was accomplished by having packages delivered to other members of the DTO.  Jones or others would then give directions on where the drugs should be delivered.  On August 9, 2019, a package from California was delivered to a residence in Bluefield.  Jones directed the recipient of that package to bring the package to Raleigh County, and meet him at a specified location.  After Jones was picked up by the other member, a traffic stop was made in Beckley on the car in which Jones was a passenger.  When the law enforcement officer approached the car, Jones fled on foot but was later apprehended at a nearby business.   During a search of the car, officers found the package that had just been shipped from California.  The package contained approximately two pounds of methamphetamine.  On August 6, 2019, officers with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department approached Jones while he was stopped on the side of the road.   Officers found a Glock, model 26, 9mm semi-automatic pistol.  Earlier that same day, Jones was observed on video surveillance possessing that same firearm.  Jones knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm due to being convicted of a felony offense in California. 

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Beckley Police Department, and the West Virginia State Police. 

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00227.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Ripley man pleaded guilty today to possessing a pipe bomb.

According to statements made in court, on October 6, 2019, Nicholas Boggess, 26, was pulled over by a trooper with the West Virginia State Police. After smelling the odor of marijuana, the trooper obtained consent to search Boggess’s vehicle. A Jackson County Sheriff’s deputy arrived to assist and recovered a pipe bomb in a backpack in the trunk of Boggess’s vehicle.

Boggess pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Act and faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on March 7, 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 West Virginia State Police, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad assisted in the investigation.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nowles Heinrich and former Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-00296.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man plead guilty today to the sexual exploitation of a child.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Thomas John Mills, 36, of Beckley, admitted that between March and October 2020, he coerced a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct, including masturbation and the lascivious exhibition of her genitals for the purpose of creating images and videos of this conduct. Mills had the minor take pictures and videos to send to him and had her participate in live video chats where he told her to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

Mills pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and faces at least 15 and up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 25, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk 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. 5:21-cr-00096.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – James Woods, Jr., 48, of Craigsville, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud. 

At the plea hearing, Woods admitted that in May of 2016, he applied for a line of credit at a commercial equipment supplier in Beckley.  When Woods applied for a line of credit, he fraudulently did so under the name of another construction business that Woods did not actually own.  Woods admitted to the Court that he did not have permission from the owner of the business to apply for the line of credit at this store to lease commercial construction equipment.  The credit application was transmitted to Cross Lanes and eventually out of West Virginia where it was approved for $10,000.  Woods then used the line of credit to lease a CASE Model 850 bulldozer and it was delivered to a jobsite that Woods controlled.  Once the owner of the business learned about the fraudulent line of credit, the equipment rental store was contacted and the bulldozer was recovered by the West Virginia State Police and the equipment provider.   

Woods faces as much as 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 18, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and credited the investigative work of the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General who uncovered the fraud in conjunction with a larger fraud investigation.  The West Virginia State Police also helped with the equipment recovery.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Kathleen Robeson 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. 5:20-cr-00001.

###

$76,617 awarded to fiscal agent in the Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core.  The West Virginia Division of Administrative Services – Justice and Community Services was awarded $76,617 for the Southern District of West Virginia.  

The Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”

“We are working closely with our PSN partners to address the most pressing violent crime issues in our communities through comprehensive, community-based strategies,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  “The PSN funding awarded most certainly will further our efforts to keep our citizens safe.”

In the Southern District of West Virginia, grant funds will support enforcement-related activities to reduce gun violence in Charleston, Huntington and Beckley.  Projects will focus on implementation of comprehensive strategies that include community outreach, prevention and intervention and strategic enforcement efforts.

“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”

In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.

This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.

PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.

For a list of all grantees, please visit: FY21-Project-Safe-Neighborhoods-Awards.pdf (ojp.gov).

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at  www.ojp.gov.

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

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted James Pinson, 46, of Pritchard, Wayne County, West Virginia, of three counts of wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and two counts of conspiring to commit money laundering. Pinson was the owner of Big Blue Motor Sales, a Kentucky used car dealership.

Evidence at trial revealed that Pinson defrauded Toyota of over $4.3 million in connection with a Toyota Customer Support Program. To carry out his scheme, Pinson bought Toyota 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 fraudulently induced Toyota to repurchase the trucks at 150% of their retail value. Toyota issued 350 checks in the names of individual false owners between 2013 and 2015. Pinson forged signatures on all 350 checks and deposited them into his bank account. Pinson then used the money from this fraud scheme to buy more Toyota trucks at wholesale to run through the scheme. He also paid cash bribes to a service manager at a Toyota dealership and a representative of the company that Toyota hired to administer the Customer Support Program. Pinson further used the criminally-derived money from the fraud scheme to purchase a beach house in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina.

“The excellent work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia Office of the Insurance Commissioner and the National Insurance Crime Bureau resulted in this defendant being brought to justice,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  “I congratulate Assistant United States Attorneys Steven I. Loew and Andrew J. Tessman and the entire trial team for obtaining this guilty verdict.”

Pinson faces up to 22 years in prison plus a mandatory two-year sentence resulting from his aggravated identity theft conviction when he is sentenced on March 3, 2022. Pinson also will be required to pay restitution of up to $4.3 million to Toyota, and all property connected to the scheme is subject to forfeiture.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the trial.

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. 2:19-CR-00250.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to three years and two  months in prison for a federal gun crime.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Richard Howard King II, 26, was involved in an argument with another individual at a bar in Cross Lanes on March 13, 2021. During the argument, King retrieved a gun from his car and fired a .45 caliber round from it.  King admitted that he possessed the round of .45 caliber Tula ammunition that was fired from the gun and that he was prohibited from possessing the ammunition as a result of a 2016 federal conviction. King was still on supervised release for the prior felony conviction at the time.

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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-00008 & 2:15-cr-000218.

###

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.

According to court documents, on June 17, 2021, Rashad Lewis Morris, 29, was contacted by a confidential informant working with the Beckley Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit to purchase fentanyl. Morris met with the informant at a location on Johnstown Road in Beckley where he distributed approximately 2.9 grams of fentanyl to the informant in exchange for money.

Morris pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and faces up to 20 years in prison when is sentenced on March 25, 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, and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s 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-00238.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Parkersburg man was sentenced today to two years in prison and ordered to pay $490,000 in restitution for making false statements on a loan application.  

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jonathan Smith, 36, submitted an application to a federal credit union on June 22, 2016 for a loan in the amount of  $505,000. In that application, Smith falsely represented that he intended to use the proceeds of the loan to purchase a 1963 Corvette when he know he had already purchased the Corvette for $35,000.  Smith also falsely represented his monthly income to be $10,132 when it was only a fraction of that amount, and that the fair market value of the car was $1.2 million when its true value was less than $50,000.  Smith further indicated that he was the owner of a certain business, when he had no ownership interest in that business.

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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Christopher R. Arthur 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-00173.

###

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

According to statements made in court, on August 14, 2021, Austin Nathaniel Miller, 24, was stopped by an officer with the St. Albans Police Department for riding a dirt bike on a city street.  Miller admitted to possessing a gun and the officer recovered a loaded Ruger 9mm handgun from Miller’s waistband. In searching Miller’s backpack, the officer found two packages of suspected methamphetamine with a combined approximate weight of 238.22 grams. Drug lab analysis determined that the methamphetamine was approximately 98% pure.  

Miller pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 7, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Miller 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-00204.

###

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

According to statements made in court, Marquise Culbreath-Claytor, 26, was a passenger in a vehicle stopped in Boone County by a trooper with the West Virginia State Police on April 1, 2021. Culbreath-Claytor possessed 134 grams of methamphetamine, which he admitted he intended to sell.  

Culbreath-Claytor pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison when he is sentenced on February 3, 2022.

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

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-00190.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --  Richard Daniels Jr., 39, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime.

Based upon statements made in court, Daniels possessed a Springfield, Model XD 9mm handgun on December 12, 2020 in Charleston.  Daniels admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing the gun because of his 2003 felony conviction for third-degree sexual assault in Rock County, Wisconsin.

Daniels pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 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 Charleston Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller 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-00183.

###

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A Detroit, Michigan man was sentenced today to one year and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for his involvement in distributing heroin and methamphetamine.  

According to court documents, Londel Sanders, 27, sold heroin and methamphetamine to an undercover informant on four separate occasions in 2019.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00015.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and five other federal law enforcement agencies announced the completion of the fourth annual Money Mule Initiative, which targeted networks of individuals through which international fraudsters obtain proceeds of fraud schemes. These individuals, sometimes referred to as money mules, receive money from fraud victims and forward the illicit funds, often to overseas perpetrators. 

By receiving and transferring illicit funds, money mules facilitate a wide range of fraud schemes, including those that often predominately impact older Americans — like romance scams and lottery fraud — and those that target companies through business e-mail compromise schemes. Money mules also assist the theft of funds earmarked for pandemic relief, including unemployment insurance and small business loan funds. Some money mules are aware that their actions facilitate international fraud schemes. Others, however, first interact with fraud schemes as victims and may be unaware that their actions are furthering criminal activity.         

U.S. law enforcement took action to address 4,750 money mules over the last 10 weeks; enforcement actions occurred in every state in the country. These actions more than doubled the number of actions taken during last year’s effort. Agencies are also conducting outreach to educate the public about how fraudsters use money mules and how to avoid unknowingly assisting fraud by receiving and transferring money.

“Without money mules, many foreign fraudsters targeting American consumers, businesses and pandemic relief funds could not reap the proceeds of their schemes,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The department and its partners will use every tool at our disposal — consumer education, disruption and prosecution — to cripple foreign fraudsters’ ability to get money from victims’ pockets to perpetrators’ bank accounts.”

Law Enforcement Actions

The department’s Consumer Protection Branch and the FBI led the initiative with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Other participating agencies were the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The campaign was conducted simultaneously with a Europol initiative, the European Money Mule Action (EMMA). Additionally, in several districts, including the District of Arizona and the Northern District of Georgia, federal law enforcement have been working closely with their state and local law enforcement counterparts.

“This year’s Money Mule Initiative successfully halted the activity of hundreds of money mules worldwide thanks to the persistence and partnership of the FBI and our federal, state, local and international partners,” said Executive Assistant Director Brian Turner of the FBI's Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. “Money mules make it easier for criminals to hide their activity, and harder for law enforcement to follow their tracks. Today’s announcement is an unmistakable warning for those who move money for criminal enterprises: even if you don’t know you’re committing a crime, acting as a money mule is illegal and punishable, and the FBI and our partners will use all available tools to disrupt the flow of funds to criminal networks.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes great pride in our history of protecting the public from being deceived by scammers,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “We work hard to safeguard vulnerable consumers through aggressive criminal investigations, as well as proactive consumer outreach, as part of our mission to protect those who might fall victim to cleverly designed deceptive offers. The Money Mule Initiative is another example of our law enforcement commitment, and that of our law enforcement partners, to vigorously pursue individuals who knowingly or unknowingly participate in criminal activity of this nature; bring them to justice and stop them in their tracks from victimizing the American public.”

“My office, along with our federal, state and local partners, is working tirelessly to protect the public from scammers,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  “We are addressing the issue, not only through enforcement actions, but through community outreach and education as well.”

The thousands of actions taken by law enforcement ranged from warning letters to civil and administrative actions, to criminal prosecutions. Law enforcement served approximately 4,670 letters warning individuals that their actions were facilitating fraud schemes. These letters outlined the potential consequences for transferring money acquired illegally. Civil or administrative actions were filed against 11 individuals, and through seizures and voluntary return of funds, law enforcement obtained nearly $3.7 million in fraud proceeds.

Additionally, more than 30 individuals were criminally charged for their roles in receiving and forwarding victim payments or otherwise laundering fraud proceeds. These cases included:

• The Consumer Protection Branch and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California charged four individuals who laundered gift cards purchased by fraud victims.
• Two U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the District of Rhode Island and the Western District of Pennsylvania, indicted individuals who, among other conduct, personally collected money from grandparent scam victims.
• The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee charged an individual who facilitated the theft of unemployment insurance funds.
• The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York indicted a ring of individuals who laundered money for romance scams and business email compromise fraud schemes.

In the Southern District of West Virginia, 10 individuals were charged earlier this year for their roles in a large fraud and money laundering scheme.  One of the defendants pleaded guilty earlier this week to receipt of stolen money and admitted to obtaining money from at least 37 different victims totaling nearly $400,000.  Two other defendants have pleaded guilty to their roles in the fraud scheme, one of whom will be sentenced later this month.

The charges also consisted of cases brought against individuals who facilitated business email compromise schemes, including charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Eastern District of Wisconsin and the Western District of Kentucky. Additional charges were brought against money mules by U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Georgia, the Eastern District of Louisiana, and the District of Nebraska.

Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Community Outreach and Prevention

Agencies also turned their attention to educating the public about how fraudsters recruit individuals to serve as money mules, signs of money mule activity and steps that should be taken if someone has unknowingly facilitated fraud by moving money.

These efforts included:

• U.S. Postal Inspection Service created fliers that were displayed in post offices across the country during the Money Mule Initiative.
• FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released a money mule public service announcement.
• The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General provided information about money mule activity to state work force agencies.
• The Department’s Elder Justice Coordinators educated their communities about money mule’s activity.
• Members of the Attorney General’s Coronavirus Fraud Enforcement Task Force used outreach materials created by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to educate the public about the use of money mules to steal pandemic relief funds.

Other government agencies joining the public awareness effort included the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which created new money mule scam awareness materials, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living and AmeriCorps Seniors. By increasing awareness of money mule activity, these efforts and others sought to prevent individuals from becoming involved in money mule activity.

For more information on money mules, please visit https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/money-mule-initiative.

Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its elder fraud enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).    

The Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Henry Schien, Inc., (“HSI”) a wholesale medical distributor based in Long Island, New York, has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States to resolve civil penalty claims arising from its improper distribution of opioids and other controlled substances to medical and dental practitioners in five states in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

The settlement provides that between January 1, 2015 and October 9, 2018, HSI distributed approximately 25,400 hydrocodone pills and 3,600 Xanax pills to Scott Edmonds, DDS, a dentist practicing in Huntington, West Virginia, making him one of the top practitioners for hydrocodone purchases in the state.  After the DEA conducted an administrative inspection of Dr. Edmonds’ office, he admitted that he had obtained the substances from HSI to feed his personal addiction.  Dr. Edmonds voluntarily surrendered his DEA registration and entered rehab, and later entered into a civil penalty settlement with the United States for his CSA violations.  Further investigation revealed that HSI had enabled the dentist’s abuse by overlooking numerous red flags indicating abuse and diversion.  Specifically, HSI approved Dr. Edmonds’ repeated requests to increase the quantities of controlled substances he could order, and HSI personnel cleared the dentist to continue abusing the medications after an office inspection in February, 2016 revealed that Dr. Edmonds was not properly accounting for where the drugs were going.

HSI also distributed opioids to Dr. Elizabeth Korcz, a family medicine physician in Hoover, Alabama.  From February 2015 to February 2017, HSI sold more than 100,000 hydrocodone pills to Dr. Korcz, some of which were diverted. Dr. Korcz and her husband Matthew Korcz were indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and pled guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully dispense controlled substances. HSI was the primary distributor of opioids to Dr. Korcz. 

From 2013 to 2017, HSI sold nearly 55,000 units of hydrocodone to Dr. John Eldridge, a chiropractor and naturopathic physician who practiced in Phoenix, Arizona, despite red flags of abuse and diversion and significant disciplinary history related to his license to practice medicine.  Dr. Eldridge pled guilty to state charges of solicitation to offer to sell or transfer a narcotic drug in August 2021 and surrendered his naturopathic medical license.

From July 2012 to September 2014 HSI supplied more than 24,000 10 mg hydrocodone pills to Dr. Larry Preston, a general family dentist practicing near Bristol, Tennessee.   Dr. Preston was continually among the top three dental practitioners purchasing oral hydrocodone in the Knoxville, Tennessee area from 2006 through 2014.  In 2012, 2013, and 2014 Preston purchased more oral hydrocodone than any other dentist in the Knoxville area. In 2015, federal and state agents learned that Preston had been consuming approximately 15 hydrocodone tablets every day since 2002.  Dr. Preston pled guilty in 2015 to federal charges in the Eastern District of Tennessee.

From April 2014 to July 2016, HSI supplied nearly 4,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone tablets to Dr. Frank Purpera, a vascular surgeon practicing in Blacksburg, Virginia.  A federal investigation determined that Dr. Purpera had no record of what happened to these pills.  Investigators learned that Dr. Purpera illegally distributed the opioid tablets, providing many of the pills to his wife.  Dr. Purpera was criminally prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and convicted in January 2020 of illegally distributing controlled substances, health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and obstruction of justice. 

Pursuant to 21 C.F.R. 1301.74(b) distributors of controlled substances have a responsibility to “design and operate a system to disclose to the registrant suspicious orders of controlled substances” including “orders of unusual size, orders deviating substantially from a normal pattern, and orders of unusual frequency.” Distributors must “inform the Field Division Office of the Administration in his area of suspicious orders when discovered by the registrant.” Moreover, registrants are obliged to maintain effective controls against diversion of controlled substances into other than legitimate medical, scientific, and industrial channels. The United States contends that HSI’s failure to comply with its responsibilities under the CSA enabled the diversion and abuse described above.

“The opioid epidemic has caused unspeakable harm to communities throughout West Virginia and the nation,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  “DEA registrants have obligations under the CSA that HSI failed to uphold. Together with DEA, we will utilize every tool at our disposal to hold accountable those that contribute to the diversion of opioids, fuel substance use disorder and cause despair and death among our families.”

“Medical distributors who ignore red flags and put profits over patient care must be held accountable for the harm they inflict on our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Louisville Division, which includes West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.  “Henry Shien, Incorporated played a role in fueling the opioid crisis in several states and today’s announcement provides some measure of justice for those who have suffered as a result of their greed and unlawful actions.”

The case was handled by former Assistant United States Attorney Alan G. McGonigal and Assistant United States Attorney Gregory P. Neil.

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

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of 100 grams or more of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

According to court documents, Richard James Pfost, 39, of Beaver, was the front seat passenger in a vehicle traveling in Belle when deputies with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle. Deputies observed marijuana in the vehicle and conducted a search of the vehicle. In the front passenger side of the vehicle, where Pfost was seated, deputies located approximately 112 grams of heroin, 88 grams of methamphetamine, 11 grams of cocaine, a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol, and a loaded Ruger EC9 9mm pistol. Pfost also had $420 in his possession, which he admitted were drug distribution proceeds. Pfost also admitted that he intended to distribute the heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine for money and that the firearms in his possession were to protect himself, the drugs he possessed, and the drug proceeds.

“Drug trafficking is a significant driver of violence in our communities, particularly in Raleigh and Kanawha Counties,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This substantial sentence demonstrates the effectiveness of our partnerships with ATF and other federal, state and local law enforcement in removing drug dealers with guns from our streets.”

“Drug dealers with guns are a threat to the safety of our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Field Division. “ATF, along with our local law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate, arrest and pursue prosecution of these offenders. Today’s sentencing is an example of that effort and highlights the ongoing partnership and commitment between ATF and law enforcement in Raleigh and Kanawha Counties to make our communities safer for everyone.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Beckley Police Department, the Oak Hill Police Department and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit investigated the case.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00094.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Walter Greenhowe, 72, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to defrauding a community improvement nonprofit for the Dunbar, Pinewood and Institute areas.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Greenhowe admitted that from 2014 to 2018 while President of the nonprofit, he engaged in a scheme to defraud the organization of approximately $130,349.07. Greenhowe used the nonprofit’s debit card to obtain cash for his personal use from ATMs at various roadside gaming parlors in and around Dunbar. Greenhowe admitted that these transactions were unauthorized and unapproved by the nonprofit. Greenhowe often made these withdrawals late at night or early in the morning and removed cash multiple times a night. 

Greenhowe pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and faces up to 60 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 3, 2022.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations, the West Virginia State Police, as well as the Intelligence Research Specialist and Litigation Financial Analyst in the United States Attorney’s Office.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott 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-00133.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Cedar Grove man pleaded guilty today to federal drug crimes.

According to court documents, between May 29, 2018  and November 7, 2018, Danny Allen Hudson, 62, sold quantities of oxycodone 30mg pills to a person who was working with law enforcement as a confidential informant on five separate occasions. The drug sale occurred at his residence.  On November 20, 2018, officers executed a search warrant on Hudson’s residence.  Inside the master bedroom, officers found a 30-06 rifle.  Hudson  admitted to possessing that rifle, despite being a prohibited person because of two prior felony convictions. 

Hudson pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of oxycodone and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 24, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner 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. 2:20-cr-00087.

###

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A McDowell County woman plead guilty today to a child pornography offense.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Lacosta Steele, 25, of Iaeger, admitted that in October and November 2020 she persuaded a 12-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct, including masturbation and the lascivious exhibition of her genitals, for the purpose of creating videos of this conduct. Steele admitted that she then sent those images to her then-boyfriend using her cell phone. Steele also admitted that during this same time frame she transported the same 12-year-old girl to R.D. Bailey Lake, where her then-boyfriend engaged in sexual intercourse with the child.

Steele pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and faces at least five and up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on April 4, 2022.

“I want to thank the West Virginia State Police and Homeland Security Investigations for their partnership in making sure that this defendant was held accountable for her heinous crime against a vulnerable child,”  said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  

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-00187.

###

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. - An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell was sentenced today for possessing a weapon at the correctional facility. Rondale Faulkner, 34, from Virginia, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison to run consecutively to the sentence he currently is serving.

According to court documents, on September 26, 2020, Faulkner possessed a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank.” During a visual search of Faulkner, staff members from FCI McDowell found the shank, which was a piece of metal approximately six inches in length, sharpened to a point at one end, with thread tied around cloth on the other end to form a handle.  As part of his plea, Faulkner admitted that the shank was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

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

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber 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. 1:21-cr-00110.

###

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

According to court documents, on September 23, 2020, a trooper with the West Virginia State Police attempted to stop Joshua James Lambert, 33, who was riding a motorcycle on Route 25 near Institute. Lambert tried to flee the scene on the motorcycle, reaching speeds of up to 90mph. When Lambert attempted to make a right-hand turn, he lost control of the motorcycle and wrecked. Lambert then fled on foot with a small black pistol in his hand, which he threw to the ground. The trooper caught Lambert and took him into custody. In searching Lambert, the trooper found several quantities of suspected controlled substances wrapped in small packages which Lambert admitted he intended to sell.  The unloaded Raven Arms, MP-25, .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol which Lambert had thrown to the ground was also recovered. The substances were tested at the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory and found to contain methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Lambert pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 24, 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 West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory McVey and Julie White are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00192.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tashawn Spencer, of Maryland, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money.

According to court documents, Spencer is a former employee of the United States Department of Treasury Bureau of Fiscal Service in Parkersburg.  Spencer admitted that she misused her government issued purchase cards to illegally convert over $1,000 of government monies for her own personal use and benefit.

Spencer faces up to 10 years in prison when she is sentenced on March 24, 2022.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Treasury-Office of Inspector General (OIG).

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger 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-00180.

###

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Marmet man pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime.

According to statements made in court, Kevin Maurice Crider, 52, of Marmet, possessed  a .45 caliber handgun on June 8, 2020. Crider admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm as a result of his previous felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for attempted prescription fraud.

Crider pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 17, 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 Marmet Police Department.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Blackwell is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00125.

###