Southern District of West Virginia

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -  Dan Bean, 42, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced today to three years in prison for a federal drug crime.  After completing his prison sentence, Bean will serve three years on supervised release.

According to court documents, officers with the Huntington Police Department searched Bean’s residence on Artisan Avenue in Huntington in 2018 and seized approximately 55 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”  Bean ultimately pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.

United States Attorney William S. 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.

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. 3:18-cr-00157.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Nigerian national who was indicted in April 2021 in connection with a large fraud scheme pleaded guilty to receipt of stolen money. 

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Augustine Amechi, 24, a citizen of Nigeria residing in Huntington, was involved from at least 2018 to March 11, 2021, with others in a fraud scheme that took place in Huntington, West Virginia and elsewhere.  Amechi lived in Huntington and attended Marshall University during his involvement in the fraud scheme.  Amechi admitted that romance fraud victims were convinced to send money for a variety of false and fraudulent reasons to bank accounts controlled by him in Cabell County.  The money received by Amechi was sent through bank wire transfers, Western Union, MoneyGram, money orders and cashier’s checks.  Amechi admitted to receiving approximately $108,601.92 directly deposited into his bank accounts from victims, over $150,000 in cash mailed in packages to his Huntington residence and over $140,000 in deposits from Zelle. Amechi further admitted that he obtained stolen money from at least 37 different fraud victims, and after he received the money, he would keep some of it for himself and forward some of the stolen money to others. Amechi transferred more than $15,000 to bank accounts in Nigeria.

Amechi faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 7, 2021.  As part of  his plea agreement, Amechi agreed to pay at least $192,762.19 in restitution.

United States Attorney William S. 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-0069 

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

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

Snyder pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and faces a minimum mandatory of five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 28, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney L. Cremeans and Joseph F. Adams are prosecuting the case.

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

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

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison for his involvement in distributing fentanyl in 2019.

According to court documents, Rodney Bulley, 33, admitted that on November 20, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence on Wilson Court in Huntington.  Bulley was located in the residence during the search and officers seized a number of items including approximately 278 grams of fentanyl.  Bulley was arrested and admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the fentanyl and that he had been involved in distributing fentanyl in the Huntington area. 

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00105.

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

According to court documents, on January 14, 2021, Aaron Scott Midkiff, 36, was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. Midkiff had approximately 166 grams of methamphetamine in his possession at the time the deputies initiated the traffic stop. The methamphetamine was thrown out of the vehicle just prior to the vehicle stopping and was recovered by deputies. Midkiff also had digital scales and plastic bags in his possession.

Midkiff 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 22, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney L. Cremeans and Joseph F. Adams are prosecuting the case.

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

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

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Jonathan Baker, 37, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Baker previously admitted that on March 2, 2021, officers with the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant at an apartment on 26th Street in Huntington.  During a search of the residence, officers found a firearm on top of a nightstand.   Baker admitted that he had possessed the firearm and that he knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of a 2011 felony drug conviction in Bibb County, Georgia.

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 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-00056.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – William David Reid, 46, of Beckley, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for distribution of heroin.

According to court documents, Reid sold a quantity of heroin to a confidential informant in Beckley on August 3, 2020.  Reid also admitted to possessing approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine on August 12, 2020 that he intended to distribute in and around Raleigh County.   Reid further admitted that he had been distributing heroin and methamphetamine in and around the Southern District of West Virginia for over a year prior to his arrest.

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

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. 5:20-cr-00156.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ronald Pleasant, 26, of St. Albans, was sentenced to five years and 11 months in federal prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Pleasant sold two ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $1,000 on December 10, 2019 in St. Albans.  Pleasant admitted selling methamphetamine to the same confidential informant on two other occasions. 

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica 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. 2:20-cr-00197.

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

According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2020, Benjamin Michael Nash, 37, traveled from Parkersburg to California where he bought 875 grams of methamphetamine, 50 boxes of psilocybin candy bars, 19 pounds of marijuana, and other controlled substances.  Nash shipped the drugs to himself from California to Parkersburg where he intended to distribute them.  On August 8, 2020, a United States Postal Service employee handling the package notified law enforcement after smelling the odor of marijuana.  Investigators seized the package and executed a search warrant on it before it could be delivered to Nash.

Nash pleaded guilty to attempting to possess with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and psilocybin 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 United States Postal Inspection Service and the Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force.

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is handling the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00194.

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$250,000 Awarded to Law Enforcement Agencies

in the Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Department of Justice today announced more than $139 million in grant funding through the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP).  The awards provide direct funding to 183 law enforcement agencies across the nation, allowing those agencies to hire 1,066 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. In the Southern District of West Virginia, two jurisdictions were awarded funding totaling $250,000.

“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.  “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”

In the Southern District of West Virginia, the City of Fayetteville and Wood County both received awards of $125,000.

“This funding is much needed by our law enforcement partners, as cities and counties throughout the Southern District face unprecedented fiscal challenges,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “These additional federal resources most certainly will improve public safety in the communities of Fayetteville and Wood County by adding front-line community policing officers focused on preventing and solving crime.”

“We are very pleased to receive the CHP grant award,” said Fayetteville Police Chief David Kinzer.  “The funding supports the hiring of an additional police officer and will enhance community policing efforts in our city.”

CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers, thereby increasing their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants today, approximately half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities; 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based responses to persons in crisis.  The complete list of awards can be found here. 

Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY21, COPS received 590 applications requesting nearly 3,000 law enforcement positions. For FY22, President Biden has requested $537.0 million for CHP, an increase of $300 million.

To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp-award. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/.  

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served.

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

According to court documents, Rance McNeil, 46, sold an informant approximately two ounces of methamphetamine for $1,200 on March 11, 2021.  The transaction took place at  McNeil’s Charleston residence.  An informant conducted additional controlled buys of methamphetamine from McNeil at his residence on March 1, 2021, April 8, 2021, and May 13, 2021.  Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McNeil’s residence on May 18, 2021, resulting in the seizure of large quantities of suspected methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as U.S. currency.

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

United States Attorney William S. 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-00203.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Vincent Williams, 40, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.  

According to court documents, Williams sold approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Hurricane on September 15, 2017 and again on September 18, 2017.  On September 19, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence in Charleston and found approximately 2,266.3 grams of methamphetamine that Williams admitted he intended to distribute.  Law enforcement officers also found a .40 caliber handgun and approximately 107.14 grams of heroin inside Williams’ residence.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Marshals Service.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.

Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller 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. 2:18-cr-00110.

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

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Charleston residence of Donavan Hardison, 31, on January 4, 2021.  The officers found approximately 2.826 grams of fentanyl on Hardison and  approximately 3.672 grams of cocaine base in Hardison’s vehicle.  Hardison admitted that he intended to distribute both controlled substances.  At the time, Hardison was serving terms of supervised release in conjunction with two prior federal convictions.

Hardison pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, for which he faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 17, 2022.  In addition, Hardison faces up to four years in prison for his supervised release violations. 

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller is handling the prosecution.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

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-00130; 2:18-cr-00040; and 2:15-cr-00135.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 18, 2019, a law enforcement officer responded to a reported drug complaint at a residence on 23rd Street in Huntington.  Upon leaving the residence, the officer came across Franklin Delano Chafin, 31, who had been riding a bicycle and wearing a backpack. The officer and Chafin spoke, at which time the defendant refused to keep his hand out of his pocket. Chafin then admitted that he had needles on him that he wasn’t supposed to have because he was on probation. Chafin further admitted that there was a gun in his backpack. The officer searched the backpack and recovered a loaded .357 Magnum Ruger revolver. Chafin is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his 2009 felony convictions for robbery in the 1st degree in Wayne County Circuit Court and burglary in Cabell County Circuit Court.

Chafin pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and he faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on February 28, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe 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. 3:19-cr-00200.

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

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 28, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled buy of heroin from Eric Mashawn McNeely, Jr., 30, on 8th Avenue in Huntington.  The suspected heroin was sent to the West Virginia State Police Lab, which confirmed that the substance was 2.97 grams of heroin with the presence of fentanyl.

McNeely pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on February 28, 2022.

United States Attorney William S. 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-00122.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Donta Hamilton, 31, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years and three months in federal prison for the distribution of heroin.  

According to court documents and statements made in court, Hamilton admitted that he sold approximately 3.5 grams of heroin to a confidential informant at a Renaissance Circle apartment in Charleston on August 5, 2020.

United States Attorney William S. 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., imposed the sentence.

Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell 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-00022.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Reid, 26, pleaded guilty yesterday to an escape charge.

According to court documents, on August 8, 2021, Reid left Dismas Charities, Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility, without permission and did not return. He had been confined at Dismas because of a previous federal conviction for theft of firearms from a licensed federal firearms dealer.

Reid faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on February 14, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Jeffrey 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-00202.

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

According to court documents, Kaine William Durham, 25, was stopped by law enforcement in Beckley on November 7, 2020.  Law enforcement officers recovered a Ruger P90 .45 caliber handgun from inside Durham’s vehicle.  Durham had been previously convicted in Raleigh County Circuit Court of felony wanton endangerment in 2017.

Durham pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Durham faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 25, 2022.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. ­5:21-cr-00123.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Justin Andrew Beardsley, 33, of Parkersburg, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court records, the Parkesburg Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Beardsley on June 1, 2019.  After a drug dog alerted on the vehicle, police searched it and located approximately 9.5 grams of methamphetamine, three loaded firearms, body armor, and miscellaneous ammunition.  In his plea agreement, Beardsley admitted that in the weeks leading up to June 1, 2019, he had distributed between 200 grams and 350 grams of methamphetamine.

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

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks 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-00060.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Zachary Mitchem, 36, formerly of Beckley, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

According to court documents, Mitchem was found passed out in a car parked in front of a local business near Beckley on July 5, 2019.  When a law enforcement officer came to check on Mitchem, she observed suspected controlled substances in Mitchem’s car.  The officer then conducted a search of the car and found approximately 21 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 14 grams of heroin and a firearm.  Mitchem was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous felony convictions.   After his arrest, Mitchem admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs in and around Raleigh County.

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

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. 5:20-cr-00032.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Gregory Weymes, 58, an Australian national residing in Ridgeview, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Weymes was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to two identified victims.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Weymes previously admitted that he possessed child pornography on his cell phone on February 23, 2021. After receiving a CyberTip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for Weymes’ residence and seized the cell phone. Weymes admitted that he used various social media platforms, including MeWe, to view and trade child pornography and that investigators would find child pornography on his phone. A forensic review of Weymes’ cell phone uncovered numerous videos depicting child pornography on the device.

Weymes will serve a ten-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. Weymes also faces potential deportation to Australia as a result of this conviction.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00080.

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

According to court documents and statements made in court, Stuart Dotson, 56, of Mount Hope, worked with others to steal many pieces of specialized mining equipment from a local mine in 2019. These thefts forced the mine to shut down for a period of two weeks as the mine was unable to function without the stolen pieces of equipment. The thefts also resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to the mine.

“My office takes the prosecution of mine theft cases very seriously,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “These crimes are devastating to both the victim companies and their employees. I applaud the investigation conducted by the FBI and the West Virginia State Police, and particularly commend First Lieutenant Anthony Perdue of the West Virginia State Police for his tireless work.”  

Dotson faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on February 2, 2022. 

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00182.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Dunbar man was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison for a federal gun crime. David Wayne Watson, 37, previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to statements made in court, officers with the Charleston Police Department responded to a call for shots fired near the Go-Mart in North Charleston in November 2019. Watson was outside an apartment building nearby. Officers made contact with him, and Watson agreed to let the officers inside the building to check the welfare of the residents. While walking up the stairs, an officer observed a firearm in Watson’s pocket. Watson admitted that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of his prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery and fleeing from police causing injury.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White 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-00141.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Lincoln County man was sentenced today to 15 years and eight months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and five grams or more of methamphetamine.   

According to court documents, the South Charleston Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Bert Tackett, 56, of Alkol, was a passenger on February 8, 2021.  Tackett possessed approximately 117 grams of a mixture/substance containing fentanyl and approximately 41.989 grams of methamphetamine and admitted that he intended to distribute the controlled substances.  Law enforcement officers also recovered a Bersa Thunder 9mm handgun from inside the vehicle.  When officers arrested Tackett at his Alkol residence on June 15, 2021, they found two bags of fentanyl weighing approximately 31.123 grams and 1.244 grams, a bag of methamphetamine weighing approximately 27.238 grams, and two loaded firearms inside his residence.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work of the South Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Marshals Service.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller 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-00097.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Akron, Ohio man who helped lead a multi-state drug conspiracy entered a guilty plea today in federal court.  George Devonte Langford, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of heroin, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to court documents, Langford admitted that he participated in the conspiracy between April and September 2019.  Langford admitted that he frequently acquired methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl in the Akron area which he and others transported to the Southern District of West Virginia.  Langford then distributed the drugs to various customers in multiple locations including Scott Depot, Charleston and Sissonville.  Langford also admitted that customers traveled to locations in Ohio on multiple occasions, including Akron and Canton, where he met with them to provide them with methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.  Langford was aware that these customers traveled from, and intended to return to, West Virginia with the drugs where they would be re-distributed. 

Langford faces 10 years to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on February 7, 2022. 

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie S. Taylor are handling the prosecution.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-000246.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men who participated in a multi-state methamphetamine conspiracy entered guilty pleas in federal court.  Dennis Deire Mosley, Jr., 35, of Akron, Ohio, and Frederick Clyde Waite, 49, of Sissonville, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

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

Waite admitted that he participated in the conspiracy between July of 2019 and September of 2019.  In addition to receiving three pounds methamphetamine on July 25, 2019, Waite admitted that he also attempted to acquire additional methamphetamine in the Akron area.  After Waite negotiated the purchase of methamphetamine over the telephone, another individual traveled to Ohio to receive the drugs.  The individual was stopped during the return trip to West Virginia and troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol seized over 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine from the vehicle.    

Waite and Mosley each face a minimum mandatory of 10 years and up to life in federal prison when they are sentenced on January 31 and February 7, 2022, respectively. 

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

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00024.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An Alabama man pleaded guilty today to an escape charge.

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

Felts faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on February 17, 2022.

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

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.  Assistant U.S. 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-00179.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime. Edward Sample, 37, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence on Washington Avenue in Huntington on April 7, 2021. Sample, along with other individuals, was located inside the house.  Agents seized a loaded Taurus 9mm firearm, a dealer amount of  heroin and fentanyl, and over $1,600 in cash during the search.   Sample confessed to possessing the firearm to protect his money and drugs.  Sample also admitted to using the same Taurus 9mm  firearm two days earlier to shoot at a house in the Cross Lanes area in order to collect a $50 drug debt.  The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department investigated that incident. 

Sample faces a minimum sentence of 25 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on January 31, 2022.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crimes and Drug Task Force, the Huntington Police Department and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey 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-00058.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. - An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) at McDowell was sentenced today for possessing a weapon at the correctional facility. Jorge Amador, 47, was sentenced to one year in prison to run consecutively to the sentence he currently is serving.

According to court documents, Amador possessed a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” on August 13, 2020. During a search of Amador, a staff member from FCI McDowell found the shank, which was a piece of metal approximately 7 ½ inches in length, sharpened to a point at one end, with thread tied around the other end to form a handle.  Amador admitted to staff members that he did possess the handcrafted weapon.  Amador also 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-00082.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joey Michael King, 41, of Elkview, was sentenced to 17 years  in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor. King was also ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment pursuant to the 2015 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

According to court documents and statements made in court, King previously admitted that in February 2019, he communicated via a social messaging application with a minor he believed to be a 15-year-old girl located in Bridgeport. In reality, the minor was a law enforcement officer with the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force who was operating online in an undercover capacity. Despite knowing the purported minor’s age, King repeatedly requested the girl to take sexually explicit photographs and to send him the photographs via text and email. King provided the girl with his personal cell phone number and his personal email, both of which matched the phone number and email that King provided to the West Virginia Sex Offender Registry in his January 2019 Sex Offender Registration Report.

King was also sentenced to lifetime on supervised release following his release from prison and is required to register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Nitro Police Department.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott 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. 2:19-cr-00301.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Berkeley County man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a child exploitation offense. James Braddock Biggerman, 21, of Hedgesville, previously pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Biggerman admitted that in June and July 2020, he communicated with a 13-year-old female located in Bluefield, West Virginia, via Snapchat and text messages. During those conversations, he asked the minor female to engage in sexual activity with him and send him sexually explicit images and videos of herself.  Biggerman also offered to pay the minor female $100 to engage in sexual activity.  Biggerman admitted to having similar conversations during the same time frame with another 13-year-old female located in Charleston. Biggerman admitted that on July 18, 2020, he traveled from Hedgesville to Bluefield in order to meet the first minor to engage in sexual activity. He then planned to transport that minor to Charleston in order to have sex with both minors and video record the sexual activity.  Biggerman was arrested on July 18, 2020, when he arrived at the location where he had arranged to meet the minor in Bluefield.  

Following his release from prison, Biggerman will serve a 30-year term of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigation conducted by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

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. 1:21-cr-00037.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kevin Barnhouse, 41, of Summersville, pleaded guilty to a federal gun crime. 

According to statements made in court, an officer with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department executed lawful search of a vehicle in which Barnhouse was riding as a passenger in November 2020. The officer located two firearms in the vehicle, a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 40 caliber handgun and an American Tactical 22 caliber rifle. Barnhouse admitted that he possessed the firearms and that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of a 2016 conviction in Nicholas County Magistrate Court for domestic assault on a family or household member.

Barnhouse pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced on January 27, 2022.

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

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Tessman is handling the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00201.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Rebecca F. Bragg, 37, was sentenced to one month in federal prison for fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits.  Bragg will also serve a three year term of supervised release, seven months of which will be served on home confinement.  She also paid $4,900 in restitution to FEMA.

According to court documents, in June 2016, at the time of a major flood, Bragg resided in a home in Procious, Clay County, that was owned by her husband’s parents.  On June 26, 2016, Bragg applied to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for both personal and rental assistance for the Procious residence.  As a result of her application for rental assistance, Bragg received $2,472 from FEMA.  Initially FEMA deemed Bragg ineligible for home repair assistance because she had not proven she owned the home at the time of the flood.  On July 20, 2016, through her previous employer, Bragg applied for and obtained home insurance for the Procious residence, wherein she falsely claimed she was the home owner. On August 9, 2016, from her previous employer’s office in Spencer, Roane County, Bragg faxed to FEMA the home insurance policy that listed her as the property owner. As a result of Bragg’s false statements and misrepresentations, she received $4,900.85 in home repair benefits from FEMA.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson handled the prosecution. 

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00103.

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

According to statements made in court, Emmanuel Lamont Covington, 30, pawned a stolen derringer pistol at a local pawn shop. Covington admitted to possessing the firearm and pawning it to pay bills, and also admitted to knowing that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of having a prior felony conviction. Covington was convicted of a felony drug conspiracy in 2016.

Morris pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 17, 2022.

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

Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is handling the prosecution.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. 

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-00128.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for distribution of heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Greg Anthony Waters, Jr., 27, sold approximately 3.5 grams of heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on January 9, 2020.  Waters admitted to meeting the informant in Beckley to sell the drugs.  Waters also admitted to selling cocaine base, heroin and fentanyl on several other occasions between January 9, 2020 and September 18, 2020. Multiple firearms were seized by law enforcement during a search of Waters’ apartment on September 30, 2020. Waters admitted that he was prohibited from possessing the firearms due to a prior felony conviction in Illinois.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which is comprised of officers from the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, the Beckley Police Department and the West Virginia State Police.

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-00012.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Reese Inman, 39, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on October 16, 2019 at a residence on Dempsie Avenue in Parkersburg. Inman was located in the living room and a loaded .22 Rohm revolver and a quantity of heroin were nearby.  Law enforcement officers also located between 14 and 15 grams of heroin, a Chiappa .22 revolver and ammunition, an iPad that was payment for heroin Inman had sold, a black digital scale, $384 in U.S. currency and some marijuana.  Inman admitted that he had been selling heroin in Wood County and that he intended to distribute the heroin in his possession to others.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force and the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. 

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner 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-00090.

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Defendant charged with possession of unregistered destructive devices

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nathaniel Blayn Becker, 42, of Marietta, Ohio, was charged today in a federal criminal complaint with possession of one or more unregistered destructive devices.  Becker was arrested by law enforcement authorities yesterday in Marietta.   

According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement officers recovered suspected destructive devices from two different tugboats on the Ohio River on October 21 and  October 25, 2021.  The criminal complaint alleges that Becker purchased pipes and other relevant components of the suspected destructive devices from a Lowe’s store in Marietta on four separate occasions.

“The cooperation of Lowe’s was instrumental in Becker’s arrest and I thank them for their assistance,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  “I commend the many law enforcement agencies for their swift investigation leading to Becker’s arrest.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is conducting the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department and the Washington County, Ohio, Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is handling the prosecution.

Note: The charge contained in the complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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-mj-00206.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Nicholas County man was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ralph Floyd Barnett, Jr., 61, of Birch River, possessed a .22 caliber handgun on August 17, 2019, and used the firearm to shoot multiple times at another man. Barnett admitted that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of his prior federal conviction for aiding and abetting in maintaining a drug-involved premises. Deputies with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department initially responded to Barnett’s residence in Birch River after he made a series of 911 calls in which he threatened to shoot somebody and threatened to assault certain Deputies in the Sheriff’s Department.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nowles Heinrich prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00066.

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CHARLESTON – Memphis Ross, 20, of Charleston, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for possession of a fully automatic machine gun that was not registered to him.  Ross is one of the 15 individuals charged as part of the long-term investigation dubbed the “Woo Boyz.”

According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on July 26, 2020 at the Charleston home of Ross’ mother and located an IMI Uzi 9mm submachine gun. Ross admitted bringing the fully automatic firearm into his mother’s home and that the firearm was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.  Officers also found three other firearms, ammunition and some marijuana during the search.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the U.S. Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police. 

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecution.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00032.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Christa Dawn Ravenscroft, 45, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on March 8, 2019, at a residence on Baer Street in Huntington after receiving multiple reports of drug activity at that location. A search of the residence found approximately 1.55g of methamphetamine along with multiple ledgers and a digital scale. Ravenscroft admitted that she sold drugs to support her own habit. 

United States Attorney William S. 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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe handled the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00181.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  A Huntington man pleaded guilty today in connection with his participation in a large fentanyl and cocaine distribution ring operating in the Huntington area.  William Raeshaun Byrd, 31, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.   

According to court documents and statements made in court, Byrd admitted that he participated in the conspiracy from the Summer of 2020 to July of 2021.  During the conspiracy, Byrd frequently received shipments of fentanyl and cocaine which were transported from Columbus, Ohio to Huntington by vehicle.  For each shipment, Byrd received a minimum of 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 1 kilogram of cocaine.  The drugs were provided to Byrd on consignment and Byrd would pay for the drugs after he distributed them in Huntington.  Byrd further admitted that he operated two residences in Huntington as locations to accept the shipments and distribute the drugs. 

Byrd was arrested on July 29, 2021, after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging multiple individuals in the investigation.  A search warrant was also executed at Byrd’s residence on that date and law enforcement officers seized a number of items including two firearms and over $113,000 in United States currency.  Byrd admitted that he possessed the firearms and that the money constituted proceeds from drug sales. 

Byrd faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on January 31, 2022.

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

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

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

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

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A  Detroit, Michigan man was sentenced today to 121 months in prison for a federal drug crime.  Bandon William Jones, 42,  previously pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin.

According to court documents, a confidential informant working with law enforcement purchased approximately 10.8 grams of heroin from Jones for $1,000.00 on October 29, 2020.  The drug transaction took place on 16th Street Road in Huntington.  Officers then followed Jones to the 1500 block of Hal Greer Boulevard where they arrested him. Officers found additional suspected heroin and the $1,000 used in the controlled heroin purchase. Jones also admitted that he was responsible for selling at least 20 kilograms of heroin in the Huntington area.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey handled the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00029.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – An Upshur County man was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison for a sex crime against a minor.

George Albert Romer, Jr., 63, of Buckhannon, was convicted of attempted sex trafficking of a minor following a jury trial in June 2021. The evidence at trial revealed that on October 31, 2019, Romer began communicating via a dating application with a person he understood to a 15-year-old girl in Lewisburg, West Virginia. During the messages, Romer offered to pay the girl $100 to engage in sexual intercourse. On November 1, 2019, Romer drove from Buckhannon to Lewisburg and rented a hotel room in order to meet the minor. He was placed under arrest shortly thereafter.

Following his release from prison, Romer will be placed on supervised release for 15 years and will be required to register as a sex offender.  

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Courtney Cremeans handled the prosecution.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00293.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – David Alan Hunt, 30, of Hinton, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography.  At the time Hunt possessed the child pornography, he was on supervised release for a 2014 federal child pornography conviction.  Hunt was sentenced to an additional two years in prison, to run consecutively to the 10-year sentence, for violating his supervised release.

According to court documents, Hunt possessed child pornography of prepubescent minors on an iPad at his Hinton residence on January 22, 2021. Hunt’s supervising United States Probation Officer recovered the iPad containing the child pornography during a home visit.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Probation Office.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin F. Scott and Jennifer Rada Herrald 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-00075.

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Over 80 Collection Sites Located Throughout West Virginia

Available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 23rd

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson encourages West Virginians to rid their homes of unneeded  medications during DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  The national event offers free and anonymous disposal of unused and unwanted medications that are susceptible to diversion.

According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that last year, more than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States, marking the largest number of drug-related deaths ever recorded in a year. Opioid-related deaths accounted for 75 percent of all overdose deaths in 2020.

For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or no longer needed—that too often become a gateway to addiction. Working in close partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 7,000 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. These efforts are directly in line with DEA’s priority to combat the rise of overdoses plaguing the United States.

“The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic—drug overdoses are up thirty percent over the last year alone and taking more than 250 lives every day,” stated DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The majority of opioid addictions in America start with prescription pills found in medicine cabinets at home. What’s worse, criminal drug networks are exploiting the opioid crisis by making and falsely marketing deadly, fake pills as legitimate prescriptions, which are now flooding U.S. communities. One thing is clear: prevention starts at home. I urge Americans to do their part to prevent prescription pill misuse: simply take your unneeded medications to a local collection site. It’s simple, free, anonymous, and it can save a life.”

“A record number of West Virginians tragically lost their lives to drug overdose last year,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.  “I urge all West Virginians within the Southern District to clean out their medicine cabinets and drop off unnecessary, unused or expired medications at a nearby collection site this Saturday. Those participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be helping to prevent prescription medications from being diverted and abused.  I thank DEA for organizing this life-saving biannual event.”

“With more Americans dying from drug overdoses than ever before, DEA’s Drug Take-Back Day is one way that folks can help make their communities safer, simply by disposing of their unneeded or expired medications,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott, who heads the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Louisville Division.  “We’re providing a safe and convenient way to help keep potentially harmful medications out of the wrong hands.”

DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is more important than ever before. Last month, DEA issued a Public Safety Alert and launched the One Pill Can Kill public awareness campaign to warn Americans of a surge in deadly, fake prescription pills driven by drug traffickers seeking to exploit the U.S. opioid epidemic and prescription pill misuse. Criminal drug networks are shipping chemicals from China to Mexico where they are converted to dangerous substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine and then pressed into pills. The end result—deadly, fake prescription pills—are what these criminal drug networks make and market to prey on Americans for profit. These fake, deadly pills are widely available and deadlier than ever. Fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines. Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks.

Along with the alert came a warning that the only safe medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. Any pills that do not meet this standard are unsafe and potentially deadly. DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.

On Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted. DEA will also continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.

A location finder and partner toolbox are available at www.DEATakeBack.com for easy reference to nearby collection sites. Beyond DEA’s Take Back Day, there are also opportunities to regularly and safely dispose of unneeded medications at more than 13,000 pharmacies, hospitals, police departments, and businesses working to help clean out medicine cabinets throughout the year.

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

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – William Edward Byers II, 44, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for prohibited possession of firearms by a felon.  Byers was one of  15 individuals charged federally as a result of a long-term investigation, dubbed the “Woo Boyz.”

According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on February 10, 2021, at Byers’ Charleston residence and located five firearms. Byers is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2016 felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for conspiracy to manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to manufacture or deliver methamphetamine.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). The U.S. Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police provided assistance during the investigation. 

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00047.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Ray Sindledecker, 40, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for prohibited possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Sindledecker previously pleaded guilty to those two felony offenses on July 28, 2021. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, officers with the Parkersburg Police Department arrested Sindledecker on January 17, 2020 due to outstanding warrants.   When officers approached Sindledecker at a Go-Mart store near the intersection of 16th Street and St. Mary’s Avenue, he ran around the store into an alley.  As Sindledecker was running, he attempted to pull a pistol with an obliterated serial number from his waist area.  Upon doing so, Sindledecker lost his balance and fell to the ground.  Officers apprehended Sindledecker and located the pistol nearby.  Officers also located a quantity of methamphetamine, digital scales and a small amount of cash on Sindledecker.  Sindledecker knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm due to prior felony convictions for unlawful entry and manufacture of a controlled substance in Wood County Circuit Court.  Sindledecker admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to others.    

Including the two convictions from this case, Sindledecker now has 25 adult criminal convictions including seven felony convictions and 18 misdemeanor convictions.  Included in Sindledecker’s criminal history are convictions for battery, domestic battery, domestic assault, and two felony convictions for manufacture of a controlled substance.     

The United States sought a strong sentence of imprisonment in this case due to Sindledecker’s criminal history as well as his decision to pull a pistol out of his waistband while fleeing from law enforcement officers just prior to his arrest. 

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00050.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for a federal gun crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Dennis Hutton, 35, admitted to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on June 28, 2019,  at a hotel room at the Quality Inn in Mineral Wells, Wood County.  During the search, officers found Hutton, digital scales, quantities of suspected methamphetamine and heroin and a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver.  Hutton admitted to the officers he was selling the drugs to others because of the financial obligations he had.  The drugs were sent to the DEA Mid-Atlantic Laboratory and were confirmed to be methamphetamine and carfentanil.  Hutton admitted that he carried the gun to protect both his drugs and the proceeds of his drug dealing.

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

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00143.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- James Arnold Scott, 45, of Hansford, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. Scott was also sentenced to four years of supervised release.

According to his own statements and court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration utilized confidential sources to conduct several controlled buys of methamphetamine involving Scott from 2019-2020.  With respect to the charged offense which involved a controlled buy, on January 17, 2020, Scott aided and abetted one of his drug sources of supply in the distribution of four ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $1,150.  The drug transaction took place in Huntington.  Scott further admitted that when law enforcement later executed a search warrant at his Hansford residence, they seized cash, marijuana, methamphetamine, four firearms, one of which was stolen, and a ballistic vest.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Negar Kordestani handled the prosecution. 

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers 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. 3:21-cr-00078.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Frederick Coleman, 32, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Huntington on February 13, 2020.  Inside one of the bedrooms, officers recovered approximately 2.31 grams of heroin and approximately 20.99 grams of cocaine.  Coleman admitted that he possessed the heroin and intended to distribute it.

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

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller handled the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00171.

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