Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pled guilty to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Michael Rhodes, 40, of Parkersburg, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.  Rhodes admitted that between February and October 2018, he received multiple pound quantities of methamphetamine at a time from various sources including his co-defendant, Terrance McGuirk.  Rhodes further admitted to distributing the methamphetamine by the ounce and half-ounce to street level dealers in Parkersburg including his co-defendants, Nicholas Easton, Theodore “T.J.” Gibson, Michael Holley, Marshall Polan and Amy Rake. 

“The results of the Project Parkersburg takedown were both historical and remarkable,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “The long-term, collaborative investigation led to the seizure of an historical quantity of meth and was remarkably successful in shuttering a significant, multi-state drug trafficking organization.”

Rhodes is being prosecuted as part of Project Parkersburg – a major takedown and dismantling of a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing methamphetamine and heroin. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Dayton Ohio Police Department, and the Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crime Task Force.  The long-term, joint investigation resulted in at least 29 individuals being charged in federal and state court, the seizure of 121 pounds of ICE methamphetamine, six kilograms of cocaine, 217 grams of heroin, and 290 grams of fentanyl.

Trial for five other Project Parkersburg defendants, Aurelius Edmonds, Antoin Terry, Terrence McGuirk, Roderick Payne, and Amanda Atkinson is scheduled to begin on February 24, 2020 before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.  Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Jeremy Wolfe are handling the prosecution.

Rhodes faces a mandatory ten years in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 3, 2020. 

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Wrote Nearly $500,000 in Checks on Church Account for Personal Benefit

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ona man pled guilty today to a federal fraud crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Robert Dale Adkins, age 75, pled guilty to a mail fraud scheme.

“Adkins defrauded his church of almost half of a million dollars,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “You’re supposed to fill - not empty - the offering plate. Stealing from a place of worship for personal benefit - BAD IDEA.”

From at least 2012 until approximately December of 2018, Adkins was the treasurer for a church near Ona, Cabell County, West Virginia.  As treasurer, Adkins had access to the church’s checking account and was authorized to sign checks from that account on behalf of the church. 

Between 2012 and December of 2018, Adkins wrote and signed checks on the church’s account for his own benefit. Those checks went to pay personal creditors. Adkins wrote the checks without the church membership’s knowledge or approval, and without the knowledge or approval of any church board member.  Adkins would then mail the checks to pay his personal creditors. Adkins wrote approximately $487,488.92 in unauthorized checks on the church’s account for his personal use.  

Adkins faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on May 18, 2020.  He also will be required to pay restitution in the amount of  $487,488.92 to the church, and is subject to forfeiture of an equal amount to the United States.  

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey is handling the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pled guilty today in federal court for his role in a conspiracy that involved large quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron and sold in West Virginia,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Aaron Thompson, 35, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

“Thompson was part of a major drug network that was bringing large amounts of meth into West Virginia from Akron,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “I commend our law enforcement partners for helping us close off this drug pipeline.”

Thompson admitted that between the May and September of 2019, he participated in a conspiracy with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Huntington area.  During the conspiracy, Thompson repeatedly obtained quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron to Huntington.  Thompson relied on multiple individuals from Akron to deliver the methamphetamine to him and Thompson would in turn distribute the methamphetamine to various customers in Huntington.  Thompson admitted that he knew some of his customers intended to re-distribute the methamphetamine they were purchasing.  Thompson also admitted that he was responsible for distributing up to 500 grams of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.    

Thompson faces 5 to 40 years in prison when sentenced on June 1, 2020.

This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Ona 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 Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man pled guilty to federal drug and gun crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Antonio Maurice Davis, 28, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a mixture of heroin and fentanyl and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

“Just plain deadly – heroin, fentanyl and guns,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.   “We are steadfast in our commitment to hold violent, out-of-state drug dealers accountable for the chaos and despair they have caused in our communities.”

On May 15, 2019, officers with the Huntington Police Department were conducting surveillance in the south side area of Huntington when they saw Davis wearing a bright blue jacket and black pants. Davis came out of an apartment building carrying several bags and placed the bags in the backseat area of  a minivan, behind the driver, and then got into the front passenger seat of the minivan.  The minivan backed out of the driveway and travelled east on 12th Avenue to 12th Street.  Huntington Police Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the 1400 block of Charleston Avenue after learning the driver had a suspended license.  Immediately following the stop, officers approached the minivan. The officers smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the minivan. Both the driver and Davis were removed from the vehicle.   Davis initially identified himself as Jonathon Maurice Mason. Officers later learned that his real name was Antonio Maurice Davis. A K9 unit that was called to the scene positively indicated on the vehicle for the presence of drugs.  

Officers then searched the minivan. During the search, they located a High-Point 9mm rifle on the back floorboard behind the drivers’ seat. The jacket that Davis was seen wearing was located in between the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat. Inside the jacket officers found a large amount of a white powdery substance in a plastic baggy. They also found a second plastic baggy that contained a white chunky substance. Other suspected narcotics were also located in the jacket. Officers also located a gym bag behind the drivers’ seat of the vehicle. Inside the gym bag, officers located 3 handguns, digital scales, multiple cellular telephones, ammunition and other evidentiary items of value. The powdery substance was analyzed and found to be approximately 38 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl.  

Davis faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine on the drug charge and mandatory 5 years to life on the gun charge, which must run consecutively to the drug charge. Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2020. 

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey is handling the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart is launching two PSAs that speak directly to the people of West Virginia about priorities of the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia – elder fraud and maintaining “tough on crime” efforts.

“The messages speak for themselves. We are making tremendous progress. It’s important we speak directly to the people of West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Elder fraud and continuing our “tough on crime” initiatives- both are important priorities. Elder fraud is a national epidemic. It is a massive priority for Attorney General Barr and for me. Also important -- maintaining tough law enforcement efforts that are achieving great results while encouraging and supporting those that seek help and treatment from the terrible scourge of drug addiction. We are winning but bail reform and other so-called social justice initiatives risk reversing our progress. My office continues to work with a sense of urgency every day to hold drug dealers and violent offenders accountable and to protect West Virginia’s seniors from fraudsters.” 

The messages, which will begin airing on February 17, 2020, are attached. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Defendants in three separate Project Guardian cases appeared in federal court this week announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. 

Bari Myricks, 47, of Dunbar, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Myricks previously admitted that on May 7, 2018, the vehicle he was driving was stopped by law enforcement officers due to a traffic violation.  He further admitted that after a police K-9 trained in drug detection indicated narcotics were present in his vehicle, police conducted a search of his vehicle, finding heroin in a plastic bag.  Officers with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) later searched Myricks’ residence on Roxalana Road, finding over 100 grams of fentanyl, marijuana, over $12,000 in cash and two firearms.  Myricks knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearms due to prior felony convictions.  MDENT conducted the investigation.  Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.   Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman handled the prosecution.

Clayton Cato, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  On November 20, 2018, Cato was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped on the East End of Charleston for a defective light. Upon officers approaching the vehicle, they smelled marijuana. All occupants were asked to step out of the vehicle. Cato stepped out of the vehicle and ran from the traffic stop on foot. While fleeing, he put his hands near his hoody pocket and was apprehended. During a pat-down for officer safety, officers located a Smith & Wesson 32 caliber pistol. Cato admitted he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a 2003 felony conviction for distribution of cocaine base.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders handled the prosecution.

Brashan Beverly, 32, of Dunbar, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Beverly admitted that on January 3, 2019, he possessed a firearm, that is a SCCY, Model CPX-2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, in Tornado, Kanawha County, West Virginia. At the time he possessed the firearm, he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior drug conviction. Beverly faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 11, 2020.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Nitro Police Department conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Saunders and Joseph F. Adams are handling the prosecution.

These cases are part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted these cases with support from the Project Guardian partners referenced above.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.            

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Defendants in two separate Project Safe Childhood cases pled guilty, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

“These are despicable crimes,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Our partners are working around the clock to track down sexual exploiters of children.  We will prosecute each and every one and seek the maximum penalty by law.”

Christopher Charles Hirst, 26, of Hurricane, pled guilty to receipt of child pornography.  Hirst admitted that beginning in approximately August 2018 he began a relationship with a 14-year-old girl from Putnam County. During the course of that relationship, Hirst repeatedly asked the minor to send him sexually explicit photographs via the Snapchat app. When the minor ultimately sent the images, Hirst preserved those images without the minor’s knowledge. Hirst also admitted to taking several sexually explicit images of the minor in person, including one depicting them engaged in a sexual act.  Hirst faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 11, 2020. Following his release from prison, Hirst will be required to register as a sex offender.  The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.

Joey Michael King, 39, of Elkview, pled guilty to attempted enticement of a minor that occurred online in February 2019.  King 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, West Virginia. In reality, the minor was a Task Force Officer with the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and he was operating in an undercover capacity. Despite knowing the purported minor’s age, King repeatedly requested who he believed to be a minor to take sexually explicit photographs of her female genitals and to send them to him both via text and email. King provided who he believed to be a minor 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 faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least ten years imprisonment and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 7, 2020.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in conjunction with the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Nitro Police Department conducted the investigation.  United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott handled the prosecution.

These cases were 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.

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Defendant fraudulently obtained over $300,000

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Julie M. Wheeler entered a guilty plea for federal health care fraud, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Wheeler, 43, of  Beckley, faces up to 10 years of incarceration, a $250,000 fine, and  three years of supervised release when sentenced on May 20, 2020.  She will also be subject to an order of restitution in an amount ranging from $302,131 to $469,983, with the final determination to be made by the Court at sentencing.  

“Can you imagine?  Wheeler defrauded the Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program and in the process stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Taking advantage of the condition of spina bifida of a child for personal greed is truly a despicable crime. Wheeler even admitted that she defrauded the VA of hundreds of thousands of dollars and deprived the victim- a child diagnosed with spina bifida- of services.  The VA provides critical benefits and services to heroic veterans and their dependents.  Our veterans deserve better.  The families of our veterans deserve better.  And the victims of terrible conditions like spina bifida deserve all of God’s graces.  Greed is a terribly destructive human condition.”

The VA provided health care benefits to certain Korean and Vietnam War veteran’s children who were diagnosed with spina bifida through the Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program.  Spina bifida is a type of  birth defect where there is an incomplete closing of the spine, potentially leading to complications including difficulty in walking, poor bladder or bowel control, and difficulty in mobility.  A veteran’s child, K.L., received such a diagnosis and qualified for in home care through this VA program. 

Wheeler was related to K.L and was also the owner of a homecare services company, JRW Homecare Support Services.  Wheeler was hired to provide services to K.L. due to K.L.’s spina bifida condition at the VA approved rate of $736 a day to provide eight hours of daily services.  Wheeler’s care was supposed to include bathing, grooming, changing K.L.’s clothes and other issues associated with K.L.’s hygiene, food intake, and lifestyle. 

Wheeler submitted fraudulent applications where she filled out VA forms and was overpaid for providing care for K.L.  Specifically, Wheeler did not provide K.L. the care for and during the time period described.  Wheeler submitted claims to the VA stating that she provided care for K.L. eight hours a day, seven days a week, from October 2016 to April 2018 at the full daily rate of $736 a day.  Wheeler gave a statement to the VA and the FBI admitting that she greatly inflated the rate and quality of the care that she provided to K.L. This was corroborated by other witnesses who provided statements that Wheeler did not provide eight hours of daily care.  Wheeler further admitted that her conduct defrauded the VA of hundreds of thousands of dollars and deprived the victim of services.  The victim of the spina bifida diagnosis,  K.L., has since passed away.

Stuart praised the work of the Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the United States Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).   The investigation was conducted by members of the United States Attorney’s Healthcare Fraud Abuse, Recovery and Response Team (ARREST), an innovative approach linking civil and criminal enforcement efforts together in a comprehensive attack on the opioid epidemic and healthcare fraud.   United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced the formation of ARREST in February 2019.  All health care related cases in the Southern District of West Virginia, whether they are the subject of criminal or civil investigation or enforcement, are directed through ARREST.  Included within the purview of the team are the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit, Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force, Medicare and Medicaid Fraud, and Asset Forfeiture efforts related to all healthcare matters.

Senior United States District John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Cross Lanes woman pled guilty to a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Brandi Martin, 35,  pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

“Although Martin attempted to flush evidence down the toilet, the only thing she was successful at flushing was her freedom,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “She now faces significant time – up to 40 years – in federal prison.”

On January 25, 2018, law enforcement intercepted a package of approximately 6 pounds of methamphetamine headed for Martin’s address.  On January 26, 2018, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Martin’s residence.  Officers executed the warrant and found Martin as she was attempting to flush 19 grams of cocaine, 73 grams of methamphetamine, and heroin.  These drugs were recovered from the toilet and were sent to the DEA Mid-Atlantic Lab for forensic analysis.  They analyzed the drugs and confirmed their substance and purity.  The methamphetamine proved to be 96% pure.  Ultimately, Martin admitted that she intended to distribute the methamphetamine she was attempting to flush.  Two handguns were also recovered from her residence. 

Martin has a previous federal felony conviction for the distribution of cocaine.  She faces up to 40 years in prison when sentenced on June 15, 2020.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced to federal prison for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Harold Lee Battle was sentenced to 48 months in prison for distribution of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.  Battle’s federal sentence will run consecutive to the state sentence he is currently serving for malicious wounding. 

“Another meth dealer is going to federal prison,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Week after week, we are convicting more meth dealers and ultimately putting them behind bars.”

On October 31, 2017, detectives with the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit arrested Battle for distributing 60 grams of methamphetamine to a person cooperating with law enforcement on Charleston’s East End.

The Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit conducted the investigation.   Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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.

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SHOPLIFTING SCHEMES FEED ADDICTION CRISIS AND COST JOBS

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced a major takedown today of a fraudulent fencing scheme in the Charleston, West Virginia area. In a criminal complaint unsealed today in United States District for the Southern District of West Virginia, a Cross Lanes, West Virginia man, Nedeltcho Vladimirov, a native of Bulgaria, was arrested and charged with money laundering. The complaint alleges that Vladimirov operated a fraudulent fencing scheme for several years. A fencing operation is one in which stolen goods are acquired in order to later resell them for profit.

“The scale of this shoplifting scheme is extraordinary.  Nearly 4,000 items and nearly $400,000 in goods were stolen from retailers like Target, CVS and Kroger in approximately two years.  We believe that Vladimirov received over $200,000 from selling the stolen goods in just a single year.  Like many consumers, I shop at Kroger, CVS and Target.  The volume of theft is almost unbelievable,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Victims. Lots and lots of victims.  Consumers. Insurers. Taxpayers. Even the shoplifters. Consumers pay a heavy toll for shoplifting schemes like this whether through higher prices for consumer goods or the loss of profitability and jobs by the retailers themselves. Additionally, one of the great tragedies in this scheme is that it fed the need for instant money by many shoplifters who were feeding their exhaustive search for drug cash.  Schemes like this only serve to further and advance the crisis of addiction in our communities.”

“The U.S. Secret Service Charleston, West Virginia Resident Office, has successfully partnered with our local and state law enforcement partners along with corporate security from Target, Kroger and CVS,” said United States Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge Wade Fleming.   This led to the arrest of Nedeltcho Vladimirov who victimized national retail merchants and took advantage of West Virginians to commit retail theft for his own enrichment.  These partnerships are the best way to limit victimization of West Virginians.”

The charges and arrest result from an investigation by the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Putnam County Sheriff's Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and the South Charleston Police Department, together with Organized Retail Crimes (ORC) investigators from Kroger, CVS Pharmacy, and Target Corporation, with assistance from eBay, Inc.. The investigation began after ORC investigators apprehended shoplifters at several stores in the South Charleston area. The complaint alleges that the shoplifters (known as “boosters”) were acting at the direction of Vladimirov, who would purchase the items from boosters with cash at a fraction of the retail value and would then sell the stolen items at a profit on the internet. Law enforcement used several investigative tools, including surveillance and undercover operations, to reveal the full scope of the illegal operation. Records obtained by investigators show that a user account believed to be associated with Vladimirov sold at least 3,676 items for a total of $369,818.62 from late 2017 to late 2019 and it is believed that the stolen goods generated over $200,000 in sales from January 2019 to January 2020.

Stuart was outspoken in his recognition of law enforcement efforts in the matter, “I want to commend the excellent work of many investigative agencies -- the U.S. Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police, the Kanawha and Putnam County Sheriff’s Departments and the South Charleston Police Department- for their work in shutting down this long-term scheme. My team did an excellent job including investigator Steve Rowley and Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Tessman. I also want to particularly thank the ORC investigators from Kroger, CVS Pharmacy, and Target Corporation as well as eBay for its assistance in shutting down this scheme.  Public and private partnerships in investigations is a bit unusual but their assistance and partnership in this matter was critical.  Hopefully this matter sends a strong message to shoplifters to “knock it off, get a job, and if shoplifting is how you feed your addiction, get help and do it today.”  It also sends a message to retailers that “we have your back” and that “we can no longer look the other way.”

The investigation was a collaborative effort between federal, state and local, and private retail law enforcement partners. Today’s actions would not have been possible without the seamless collaboration of each of these partners.  The investigation is ongoing and could result in additional federal and state charges in the future.

Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman is handling the matter.

Please Note:  A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Bluefield woman was sentenced to federal prison for distributing drugs, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Cassandra Tiller, 36, was sentenced to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release for distribution of heroin.   

“The opioid epidemic wreaked havoc in communities throughout southern West Virginia and we continue to hold the poison peddlers and chaos-makers accountable,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.   “Make no mistake -- we are winning. Our communities are safer and I’ve put drug dealers on notice. We are fighting every day to take back our communities and protect West Virginia families from drug dealers like Tiller.”

Tiller previously admitted that on March 13, 2017, she distributed heroin to confidential informants in or near Montcalm in Mercer County.    She further admitted that she sold heroin to confidential informants on two other occasions.

The Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation.   Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorneys Negar Kordestani and John File handled the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced to federal prison for armed drug trafficking crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Kevin Huffman, 36, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.   

“10 years in federal prison,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We are tough, tough, tough on crime.  Through increased and aggressive efforts to prosecute drug dealers like Huffman, we are making great progress towards safer streets, safer families and a safer West Virginia.” 

Huffman previously admitted that he agreed to meet and sell methamphetamine to an individual now known to be a confidential police informant in Dunbar, West Virginia on November 30, 2017. Police approached a vehicle driven by Huffman to the meeting point. Huffman was found sitting on top of a Ruger, model SR, .40 caliber pistol. Following a search of the vehicle driven by Huffman, officers recovered a distribution quantity of methamphetamine and the firearm, as well as cash and Xanax, Diazepam and Clonazepam pills. At the plea hearing, Huffman admitted that he possessed the firearm to further his drug trafficking activities.

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal jury sitting in Charleston has found a Lincoln County man guilty of illegally possessing a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. 

The jury found that the defendant, James Owen Adkins, was a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Adkins was previously convicted four times from 2012 through 2017 for subsequent offenses of driving on a license that was revoked for DUI, each conviction being a felony in West Virginia. On June 4, 2019, Adkins removed a Springfield XD 9mm pistol from a truck that drove away from St. Albans police officers during an attempted a traffic stop. Adkins took the pistol from the truck, climbed out and ran off through a residential neighborhood as police pursued him on foot with a K-9. Prior to being apprehended by police, Adkins discarded the firearm under a shrub next to a residence where young children resided. Police officers recovered the firearm at the scene. Adkins admitted in an interview with officers that he was a felon, that he ran from police with the firearm, and that he discarded it.

“Guilty by a jury of his peers.  By enforcing our federal firearms laws, we keep guns out of the wrong hands,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “By virtue of his four previous felony convictions, Adkins is prohibited from possessing firearms.  The 2nd Amendment is a sacred right for all Americans and it is a right that I hold as paramount.  But felons have forfeited that right.  I commend the work of the St. Albans Police Department and the work of my entire team in bringing Adkins to justice.”

Adkins faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced on April 30, 2020.

The St. Albans Police Department conducted the investigation.  United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the trial.  Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin F. Scott and Steven I. Loew are in charge of the prosecution and tried the case before the federal jury.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A South Carolina physician pled guilty to a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. William Earley, D.O., 63, pled guilty to distributing oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional medical practice and beyond the bounds of medical practice.

“Earley is the latest drug dealer in a lab coat to plead guilty to charges brought by my office,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “In fact, six medical providers have pled guilty to date as a result of the investigation into HOPE Clinic’s prescribing practices.”

Earley admitted that he worked at the Charleston HOPE Clinic, which held itself out as specializing in the treatment of chronic pain through opioid pain medication. However, Earley admitted to having no formal training in the treatment of chronic pain patients but stated he was reassured by other HOPE Clinic physicians and by a staffing company that the HOPE Clinic was set up to provide appropriate treatment to patients suffering from chronic pain. While working at the HOPE Clinic, Earley admitted that it became apparent to him that some of the patients were not being properly evaluated prior to the doctors writing them prescriptions for opioids. Earley admitted that the patients’ files were poorly kept and often had little relevant medical information in them. Many of the patients came to the HOPE Clinic from out of state and most patients paid in cash.

On April 24, 2014, Earley admitted to prescribing patient D.J.B. 120 Percocet 10mg/325mg pills and 60 Oxycodone 10 mg pills. Earley admitted that a review of D.J.B.’s medical chart showed that by April 24, 2014, he had four failed drug tests and had reported his medication stolen. Despite these red flags, Earley did not do a physical examination of D.J.B., or address any of his failed drug screens with him, and he did not discuss the possibility of addiction or diversion with him on April 24, 2014, before issuing him two short-acting oxycodone prescriptions. Earley admitted that the prescriptions he issued to D.J.B. were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional medical practice and were beyond the bounds of medical practice.

Earley faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 11, 2020.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia State Police, the Kentucky State Police, the Beckley Police Department, the Virginia State Police, the Charleston Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

United States District Judge Frank Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Monica D. Coleman and Steven I. Loew are handling the prosecution.

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(Note: this guilty plea was withdrawn on August 24, 2022. On September 8, 2022, Earley pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-168.)

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Four defendants were sentenced to federal prison on drug charges by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

“Four drug traffickers were sentenced to federal prison today for peddling poisons,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “The underlying charges involved distribution of black tar heroin, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana.  Yes, marijuana.  My office enforces all federal drug laws.  If we find you selling illegal drugs in my district, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Mathew Byrd, 32, of Barboursville, was sentenced to 106 months in prison for selling heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Byrd was also ordered to forfeit a 2016 Cadillac Escalade, $10,000 in U.S. Currency, and various personal property. Byrd previously admitted that on January 31, 2019, he sold seven grams of black tar heroin to a confidential informant.  He also admitted to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The Violent Crime Drug Task Force West and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.   Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor handled the prosecution.

Tequan Montek Pratt, 24, was sentenced to 34 months in prison for distribution of marijuana.   Pratt admitted that on March 30, 2018 and April 9, 2018, he sold a pound of marijuana to a confidential informant at a duplex in Nitro, Putnam County, West Virginia.  Pratt also admitted that he and his associates were trafficking the marijuana from cities throughout California for several months.  Estimated conservatively, Pratt admitted to trafficking at least 20 kilograms of marijuana from California.  Pratt also possessed multiple firearms at another house in Putnam County.  The Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe and former Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman handled the prosecution. 

Abdullah Myles, 25, of Michigan, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute heroin.  Myles previously admitted that on February 7, 2019, officers with the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence Myles was living in at 825 21st Street in Huntington.  Officers recovered 13 grams of heroin from the room Myles was living in.  The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.   Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution. 

Maechelle Relf, 27, of Huntington, was sentenced to seven months in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.  Relf previously admitted that between December 2018 and May 2019 she conspired with other individuals to distribute heroin and fentanyl in Huntington, West Virginia.  Relf admitted that she would travel to Detroit, Michigan to obtain heroin for George Lockhart for him to sell in Huntington.  Her charges were the result of Operation Free Market, a long-term drug investigation in the Huntington area.  The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Violent Crime and the Drug Task Force West conducted the investigation.   Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Three felons were sentenced to federal prison for gun possession, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. 

Shannon Brown, 44, of Charleston, received an enhanced sentence of 46 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Brown previously admitted that on June 6, 2019, he possessed a Smith and Wesson, .40 caliber handgun, in and affecting interstate commerce.  Brown ran from the police and threw the gun and a small amount of cocaine during the chase, both of which were recovered by the police.  The Court increased Brown’s sentence because he possessed both the firearm and cocaine.  Brown has two previous felony drug convictions from 1998 and 2004 in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia, and was aware that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.  The Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Steven I. Loew handled the prosecution.

Joshua Adam Dowler, 37, of Wood County, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Dowler previously admitted that on April 12, 2018, he possessed a Taurus 9mm pistol while target shooting at a residence on Cain Hill Road.  He was prohibited from possessing the firearm due to having been convicted of burglary in 2007.  He was on parole at the time he possessed the firearm.  The United States Marshals Service, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution.

Dennis Leroy Burns II, 43, of Boone County, was sentenced to 15 months in prison.  He previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Burns admitted that on November 12, 2018, he was walking along Mud River Road in Boone County when a trooper with the West Virginia State Police encountered him.  The trooper investigated and ultimately located a loaded, High-Point, Model C9, 9mm pistol in a ditch just behind Burns, which Burns had possessed.   Burns was prohibited from possessing the firearm due to a 2007 felony conviction in Forsyth County Superior Court in Winston Salem, North Carolina, for attempting to obtain money under false pretenses.  The West Virginia State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation.  Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Greg McVey handled the prosecution. 

This cases are part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the Project Guardian partners listed above.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.            

The case against Shannon Brown was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal jury found a Detroit, Michigan man guilty of conspiracy to distribute heroin, using and carrying a firearm during the heroin conspiracy, and tampering with a witness, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Curtis Watson, also known as “LOW,” conspired with other drug traffickers from Detroit, Michigan and Charleston, West Virginia, to distribute in excess of 700 grams of heroin in the Southern District of West Virginia.

“I commend the work of law enforcement and my prosecution team for securing the conviction of this dangerous Detroit drug dealer,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Watson peddled a significant amount of heroin throughout southern West Virginia for which he is now being held accountable.”

Watson supplied a residence in the Hernshaw area with a substantial amount of heroin, which would then be sold to drug addicts and dealers. Shortly after the conspiracy began, Watson was losing money and he enlisted other Detroit drug traffickers to travel to West Virginia and sell more heroin.  Watson would provide these Detroit drug dealers with firearms to protect the heroin.  Upwards of $40,000 was being made in a given day at this residence. One witness described the house similar to a fast-food restaurant. Another witness described selling drugs out of the house from sun up to sunset. 

Watson’s conspiracy ended on November  17, 2017, when the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Hernshaw residence because of the drug trafficking activity.  Prior to law enforcement arriving, Watson dropped off more heroin and a Hi-Point firearm, and left the area.

After a federal grand jury indicted Watson on November 27, 2018, his first jury trial was scheduled on August 12, 2019.  On the day the trial was set to begin, a cooperating witness was threatened by Watson because the witness was coopering with the government. When Watson saw the witness at the federal courthouse, he yelled at the witness, “I got you! I got you!” After the encounter with Watson, the witness became concerned for their safety and was afraid to testify.   Subsequently, the federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Watson on September 18, 2019, adding a charge for tampering with a witness.

Watson faces mandatory five years and up to life in prison on the firearm offense which, by law, must be served consecutive to the other offenses. He faces mandatory five years and up to forty years on the conspiracy to distribute heroin in excess of 100 grams. Lastly, he faces up to twenty years on the tampering with a witness offense. At a minimum, Watson faces a mandatory minimum of ten years to life in federal prison when he is sentenced in June 2020.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. 119 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force,  the West Virginia State Police, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the trial.  Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Saunders and Nowles H. Heinrich handled the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pled guilty to a drug crime,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Keith Saunders, 39, pled guilty to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.

“Saunders was selling roughly a half a pound of meth every week,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Meth now plagues West Virginia communities and we are committed to holding drug dealers accountable.”

Saunders admitted that on two separate occasions in 2017, he met with confidential informants working with the Parkersburg Police Department and sold the informants methamphetamine.  On October 29, 2019, Saunders admitted that he sold heroin to a confidential informant again working with the Parkersburg Police Department.  On October 30, 2019, a state search warrant was executed at Saunders’ home where ammunition in addition to several digital scales were located.  Saunders admitted to being addicted to methamphetamine for several years and told investigators that he sold approximately half a pound of methamphetamine a week in order to support his drug addiction. 

Saunders faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 23, 2020. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Parkersburg Police Department conducted the investigation.   Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –United States Attorney Mike Stuart, along with law enforcement and City of Huntington officials, will hold a press conference on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. regarding an indictment.

Where:            Sidney L. Christie Federal Building

                         845 Fifth Avenue

                         Huntington, WV

When:             Wednesday, January 29, 2020 @ 3:00 p.m.

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Two West Virginian business owners were sentenced to prison today for conspiring to defraud the United States of employment and income taxes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Michael B. Stuart for the Southern District of West Virginia. Russell Rucker was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison, and his wife, Karen Rucker, was sentenced to six months in prison.  

According to court documents and statements made in court, the Ruckers operated Rucker, Billups and Fowler Inc. (RBF), an insurance agency located in Huntington, West Virginia. Russell Rucker was the president of RBF and since approximately late 2013, Karen Rucker served as a financial officer. Between September 2015 and September 2018, the Ruckers withheld approximately $143,226 in payroll taxes from the wages of RBF’s employees, which they did not pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Instead, the Ruckers diverted portions of the withheld funds for their own personal benefit. For instance, from 2014 through 2016 the Ruckers continued to pay themselves over $500,000 in salary. In response to IRS collection efforts and in an attempt to conceal funds from the IRS, the Ruckers deposited money into the bank account of another individual. The Ruckers also attempted to evade IRS levies by using a series of bank accounts that they did not disclose to the IRS and by paying many of their bills in cash, including their mortgage.

In addition, the Ruckers sought to evade payment of Russell Rucker’s 2001, 2002, and 2005 individual income taxes by disguising paychecks issued to Russell Rucker as non-taxable “note proceeds,” and they failed to file their individual income tax returns and RBF’s corporate returns for 2014 through 2017. The intended tax loss caused to the IRS by their conduct is more than $250,000.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Robert Chamber ordered the Ruckers to each serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $258,137 in restitution to the United States.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Stuart commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Alexander Effendi and Lauren Archer of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  Two Detroit, Michigan men pled guilty to drug crimes today before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. 

“Two more Detroit drug dealers stand convicted,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Dealers that come into this District to peddle their poisons will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Rudy Valentino Jackson, 21, pled guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.  Jackson admitted that on August 22, 2019, officers with the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant at 702 Washington Avenue, Apartment 7, in Huntington.  Officers found distribution quantities of methamphetamine and heroin inside the apartment.  Jackson admitted he intended to aid other individuals in selling the methamphetamine and heroin.   Jackson faces up to twenty years in prison when sentenced on April 27, 2020.

In a separate case, Paul Cunningham, 44, pled guilty to selling heroin. Cunningham admitted that in 2016 he sold heroin to a confidential informant three times in Huntington.  Cunningham faces up to twenty years in prison when sentenced on May 4, 2020.

The Huntington Police Department conducted both investigations.   Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is handling the prosecutions.

These cases are being prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A St. Albans man pled guilty to a drug crime today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  John Harvey Bush, Jr.,  27, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.  

“18 pounds of meth through the U.S. Mail,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “The motto, “If it fits, it ships,” does not apply to illegal drugs.  I can’t say enough about the tremendous work of our U.S. Postal Inspectors who intercept packages like this on a daily basis and prevent illicit drugs from making it out on the streets.  We are also fortunate to have the West Virginia National Guard as a partner in our counterdrug efforts.” 

On September 4, 2019, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package shipped from Los Angeles, California to a Charleston residence.  Upon obtaining a search warrant for the package, they discovered over 18 pounds of methamphetamine inside.  The majority of the methamphetamine was removed, except for 11.2 grams which remained inside the package in order to conduct a controlled delivery.  As law enforcement was delivering the package, the National Guard provided helicopter surveillance of the area.  Bush was recorded driving to the residence and taking the package from the front porch.  He was then followed as he drove the package to his girlfriend’s residence, where he unloaded and opened the package. 

Upon opening the package, he discovered there to be only 11.2 grams of methamphetamine and attempted to flush the shipping label to the package.  Shortly afterwards, law enforcement knocked on the front door of the girlfriend’s residence.  Bush saw them through the window and was arrested as he tried to flee out the back door.  Bush’s cell phone was seized and searched pursuant to a federal search warrant, where it became apparent that Bush was aware of the content of the package, its tracking number, and when it would be arriving. 

Bush faces up to forty years in prison when sentenced on June 8, 2020.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation.   The West Virginia National Guard assisted law enforcement with their investigation.  Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON W.Va. – A Huntington man caught selling heroin last year in Huntington was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Quentin J. Parker, 32, previously pled guilty to distribution of heroin.  Parker also was sentenced for violating his supervised release and was sentenced to an additional 21 months in federal prison for a total sentence of 36 months.    

“Parker had previous convictions on drug and gun charges,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “He went back to peddling drugs while still under supervision.  Parker just got himself a longer stay in federal prison.”

Parker admitted that, on February 6, 2019, he directed a confidential informant to come to a parking lot in the 200 block of 4th Avenue in Huntington to purchase heroin.  Once the informant arrived, Parker entered the informant’s vehicle and sold the informant 3 grams of heroin.  At the time of the offense, Parker was serving a term of supervised release based on convictions he received in 2011 for distributing crack cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.   

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A North Carolina physician pled guilty to a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Roswell Tempest Lowry, M.D., 85, pled guilty to interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise.

“Like I’ve said before, medical professionals prescribing controlled substances outside the bounds of medical practice and without legitimate medical purpose, will be held accountable just like any other drug dealer.  A drug dealer with a lab coat and a stethoscope is still just a drug dealer,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Furthering the opioid crisis and taking advantage of West Virginians suffering with substance use disorder for the sake of personal greed cannot and will not be tolerated.”

Lowry admitted that in May 2014, he was contacted by a “head-hunter,” about working at the Charleston HOPE Clinic. He was told that HOPE Clinic specialized in the treatment of chronic pain through opioids but Lowry had no experience in pain management. Despite having no experience in pain management, Lowry agreed to work at the Charleston HOPE Clinic location. Lowry travelled from North Carolina to West Virginia the day before he was scheduled to work and stayed at a hotel for the week. When Lowry started working at the HOPE Clinic, it became apparent to him that customers were not being properly evaluated prior to receiving prescriptions for opioids. Lowry also realized that customer’s files were poorly kept with little relevant medical information in them. Most customers paid in cash and many travelled from out of state to the HOPE Clinic. Lowry often received a bonus on top of his hourly pay that was clearly based on the number of paying customers at the HOPE Clinic. Despite all of these red flags, Lowry continued to travel from North Carolina to work at the HOPE Clinic in Charleston, West Virginia, and he continued to write customers prescriptions for Schedule II narcotics. Lowry specifically admitted that he travelled to from North Carolina to Charleston, West Virginia on June 15, 2014, to work at the Charleston HOPE Clinic from June 16-18, 2014. During this trip, Lowry admitted to prescribing customer D.J.B. 120 Percocet 10/325 mg pills and 60 Oxycodone 10 mg pills without a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional medical practice and beyond the bounds of medical practice.

Lowry faces up to 5 years in prison when sentenced on May 4, 2020.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia State Police, the Kentucky State Police, the Beckley Police Department, the Virginia State Police, the Charleston Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

United States District Judge Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Monica D. Coleman and Steven Loew are handling the prosecution.

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(Note: this guilty plea was withdrawn on August 24, 2022. On September 8, 2022, Lowry pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-169.)

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Detroit-area man was sentenced to federal prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of oxymorphone, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  D’Andre Lee Mathis, 29, of Mount Clemons, Michigan was sentenced to 63 months in prison and a three year term of supervised release.

“A Detroit-area pill dealer operating in Greenbrier County,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “If you think we only find Detroit drug dealers in Charleston and Huntington, guess again.  We are finding out-of-state drug dealers in every county in the District.   The work of our task forces is critical to identifying and investigating these poison peddlers so we can send them packing.”

Mathis previously admitted that on June 9, 2017, he distributed three oxymorphone pills to a confidential informant in Alderson after his co-defendant, Cody Reed Godfrey, helped set up the deal.  Mathis admitted that he was responsible for distributing, or possessing with intent to distribute, dozens of oxymorphone pills in Greenbrier County.  Godfrey was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in the scheme.

The Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney John File handled the prosecution.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Two men pled guilty today for their participation in a drug trafficking operation in Raleigh County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. David Dove, 49, of Scarbro, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, while Christopher Redden, 40, of Beckley, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of a substance containing methamphetamine and being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm.   Dove and Redden were charged as a result of a long-term investigation known as Operation Shutdown Corner. 

“Operation Shutdown Corner did just that – it shut down a significant meth trafficking organization,” announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Meth is now the most pressing drug problem in my District.  We’re fighting back through successful joint law enforcement efforts like this that dismantle significant drug trafficking organizations bringing large amounts of meth into our region.”

Dove admitted that between June 2018, and September 17, 2019, he worked with other members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Raleigh County, West Virginia to distribute methamphetamine.  Dove admitted that during this time period he supplied other members of the drug trafficking organization with distribution quantities of methamphetamine knowing that it the other members would resell the methamphetamine illegally.  Dove admitted he was participating in recorded conversations regarding drug activity and to meeting with other members of the DTO to distribute and exchange controlled substances.  Dove also admitted that when he was arrested, law enforcement officers found two “eight-balls” of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute.  Dove admitted that he was responsible for distributing between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of methamphetamine during this time period.

Christopher Redden admitted that between January 2019 and September 17, 2019, he participated in the drug trafficking organization by working with Stephanie McClung and others to distribute methamphetamine and heroin within the Southern District of West Virginia.  During this time period, Redden admitted to obtaining approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine a month and a quantity of heroin that he intended to re-distribute.   Redden admitted that at times he was “fronted” the drugs, or given drugs without paying for them, and then selling the drugs for profit to pay back the supplier.  Other times he admitted to paying for the drugs up front.  Additionally, Redden admitted that on September 18, 2019 when he was arrested, he was in possession of a Taurus, model G2C, 9mm semi-automatic pistol that he had received as payment for methamphetamine.  He also admitted that at the time he possessed the firearm he knew he was an unlawful user of controlled substances and therefore prohibited from possessing any firearms. 

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

Both Dove and Redden are scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2020.  Dove faces a mandatory minimum period of five years and up to forty years in prison and a $5 million fine. Redden faces up to thirty years for the drug and gun charge and a fine of up to $1,250,000. 

Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecutions.  United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearings.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Defendants in three separate cases appeared in federal court and have been sentenced to prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

“Violence won’t be tolerated.  Each one of these defendants posed a threat of violence to our communities,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “While we have significantly increased the number of prosecutions of gun law violators and violent drug dealers, we continue our work with a sense of urgency to protect the public from gun violence.” 

Dachaun Marcies Thaxton, of Charleston, was sentenced to 106 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.  Thaxton was also ordered to serve a five year term of supervised release.  Thaxton previously admitted that on March 14 and 19, 2019 and April 1, 2019, he distributed methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement in Dunbar, Kanawha County, West Virginia. On April 5, 2019, officers executed a search warrant at his residence located in Solon Court in Dunbar and located one Bushmaster AR-15 rifle with a loaded magazine in the fire position and one Anderson Manufacturing AR-15 rifle loaded with a 90 round drum also in the fire position in the front bathroom. In that same bathroom, officers also found a Cai-Georgiavt AK-47 with a chambered round and loaded magazine. In the rear bedroom, officers found approximately 360 grams of methamphetamine that Thaxton admitted he intended to distribute. Thaxton admitted to possessing the firearms to protect his drugs, drugs proceeds, and himself. Thaxton also admitted that at the time he possessed the firearms, he was a felon.  The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecution.

Tyerice Martell Irvin, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.  He will also serve five years on supervised release after completing his prison sentence.   Irvin previously admitted that on April 5, 2019, he was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by law enforcement for a traffic violation. Based on the smell of marijuana in the vehicle, officers decided to conduct a search of the vehicle and Irvin was asked to step out of the vehicle, which he did. An officer then began to pat Irvin down for weapons. During the pat down, the officer felt a firearm on Irvin.  Irvin pushed the officer and fled the area.  Officers began to chase Irvin and he ran toward the area of the stores at Patrick Street Plaza. During the chase, Irvin admitted to throwing a loaded semi-automatic Beretta 948 .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol into a dumpster near the Rent-A-Center store while fleeing. He also ran through the Rent-A-Center store where he threw a bag of marijuana in his possession. Officers eventually apprehended him in front of the Rent-A-Center store. Officers found a bag of what they believed at the time was heroin on Irvin but laboratory testing later confirmed the substance to be 3.167 grams of fentanyl. Officers recovered both the marijuana, the fentanyl, and the Beretta 948 .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Officers also recovered a SCCY CPX-2 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol in another dumpster along the route Irvin ran. Irvin admitted that he knew the substance that he possessed was a controlled substance and that he intended to distribute it and that he was carrying the Berretta 948 .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol to protect his drugs, his drug proceeds, and himself. He further admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm because he is a convicted felon.  The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecution.

Mark Matthew Smith, 30, of Parkersburg, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.  Upon release from prison, Smith will serve three years of federal supervised release.  On December 6, 2017, Smith was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Parkersburg Police at 3:00 a.m. at the intersection of East Street and 7th Street.  Smith admitted that there was a firearm in the vehicle but refused to tell the officer where it was.  When Smith began moving his arm toward the vehicle’s center console, the officer directed Smith to get out of the vehicle.  An officer retrieved a KAHR .45 caliber pistol from the passenger seat floorboard.  Smith was wearing a concealed carry holster wrapped around his chest.  An officer ran Smith’s criminal history and learned that he had been convicted of several felonies including forgery, grand larceny, and drug possession.  Upon searching him incident to the arrest, police found methamphetamine, cocaine base, several buprenorphine tablets, five counterfeit $100 bills, and six Social Security cards belonging to other people in Smith’s pockets.   On October 31, 2019, Smith pled guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks handled the prosecution. 

These cases are part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the Project Guardian partners referenced above. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.            

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Chesapeake, Ohio man was sentenced to federal prison for a sex offense involving a minor, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Johnathan Matthew Taylor, 24, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.  Following his release from prison, Taylor will serve a seven year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.

“My office is receiving so many referrals of cases like this one – it’s tragic.  I am passionate about protecting our kids,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We’ll prosecute every single one of these cases- EVERY ONE- to protect West Virginia’s children.” 

Taylor previously admitted that on June 1, 2019, he communicated via a social messaging application with a minor he believed to be a 15-year-old girl located in Bluefield, West Virginia. Despite knowing her age, Taylor discussed traveling to Bluefield from Ohio to meet the minor to engage in sexual intercourse, but the plans were canceled by the purported minor due to the late hour at which he would arrive. Two days later, on June 3, 2019, Taylor arranged to meet the minor female in Saint Albans, Kanawha County, West Virginia, in order to engage in sexual intercourse. On that same date he traveled from Chesapeake, Ohio to West Virginia, where he purchased condoms before arriving at the location to meet the purported 15-year-old female. 

The FBI West Virginia Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in conjunction with the West Virginia States Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.  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.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pled guilty today in federal court for his role in a conspiracy that involved large quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron and sold in West Virginia,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Brad Acy Holley, 39, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.  

“Holley was responsible for distributing up to 5 kilos of meth in our communities,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “He and his co-conspirators were bringing in tremendous amounts of meth from Akron and peddling it throughout the District.  We owe a debt of gratitude to our law enforcement partners that shuttered this drug trafficking organization.”

Holley admitted that between the Fall of 2018, and September of 2019, he participated in a conspiracy with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia.  During the conspiracy, Holley pooled money with another individual to obtain large quantities of methamphetamine which he and the other individual would then distribute.  Holley also began obtaining methamphetamine himself which was transported from Akron and sold in multiple cities in West Virginia including Huntington and Charleston.  Holley admitted that he was supplied methamphetamine on a regular basis and that he was aware some of the customers to whom he distributed methamphetamine intended to further distribute the drug across the district.  As part of his plea, Holley admitted that he was responsible for distributing up to 5 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.    

Holley faces 10 years to life in prison when sentenced on April 27, 2020.

This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Ona 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 Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  Defendants in three separate cases appeared in federal court on meth charges, said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. 

“We are prosecuting scores of meth traffickers throughout the District,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Over the past several years, we have made remarkable progress in the battle to end the chaos and destruction brought upon us by drug dealers and drug thugs. We are driven by a sense of urgency and, trust me, I not only have the backs of law enforcement but of the people of West Virginia in this righteous battle for our families and our communities.” 

Walter Ray Cavender, age 50, of Leon, Mason County, was sentenced to 108 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Cavender previously admitted that on May 16, 2018, officers served a search warrant at his home on Evans Road in Leon. At the time they served the search warrant, Cavender had approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine in his home which he intended to sell. He also had digital scales and approximately $1300 in cash.  The Mason County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.   Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey handled the prosecution.

Johnny Belcher, Jr., 35, of Huntington, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Belcher previously admitted that on July 17, 2019, an  officer found approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine in his pockets.  Belcher told the officers the substance was “ice.”  The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.    Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor handled the prosecution.

Charles Vincent Hively, Jr., 46, of Charleston pled guilty for his role in a conspiracy that involved large quantities of methamphetamine that were transported from Akron and sold in West Virginia.  Hively pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Hively admitted that, on June 7, 2019, officers came to his residence at 1195 Livingston Avenue in Charleston to execute a warrant that had been issued for his arrest.  When officers knocked on the door, they saw Hively look out the window and run to the rear of the residence.  Hively then threw a cigarette box from a rear window.  When officers recovered the box, they discovered that it contained approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine.  Officers also recovered additional methamphetamine from inside the residence and Hively admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs.  As part of his plea, Hively admitted that he was responsible for distributing up to 200 grams of methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia.    Hively faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 27, 2020.  This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Ona 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.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.

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

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced to prison for his role in a federal drug conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Tremayne Swanson, 28, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.

“Another peddler of deadly heroin and fentanyl is headed to federal prison,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “It was the fine work of law enforcement that put Swanson and his co-conspirators out of business.  Our partnerships among federal, state and local law enforcement have never been stronger.  Our intentional collaboration has resulted in tremendous success in our offensive against drug dealers and drug thugs.”

Swanson previously admitted that between December 2018 and May 2019 he sold heroin for George Lockhart in Huntington, West Virginia.

Operation Free Market was a long-term drug investigation in the Huntington area.  The investigation was the result of a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.  

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

This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced to six months in prison for illegally accessing the medical records of six veterans, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Jeffrey Miller, 40, a former Veterans Benefits Administration employee, was also sentenced to one year of supervised release.

“We must protect our veterans. Miller used his position with the Veterans Benefits Administration to illegally access the medical records of veterans,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Medical records are protected information and veterans have an expectation and right of privacy.  We will prosecute anyone who violates our veterans.”

Miller previously admitted that he illegally accessed the medical records of six veterans between January and May of 2018.  Miller further admitted that he took a picture of the medical records of former West Virginia State Senator Richard Ojeda, and then sent the picture to an acquaintance.

The Department of Veterans Affairs – Officer of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Stefan Hasselblad handled the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Three defendants appeared in federal court for gun crimes this week, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

Jason Wattie Buzzard, 35, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms.  That term of imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release.   On October 12, 2018, Buzzard, a convicted felon, arranged to pick up Paul William Martin, also a convicted felon, at the Sheetz gas station in order to sell him firearms.  Buzzard was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his Kanawha County felony conviction of breaking and entering and a domestic battery conviction.  Martin was going to buy the guns from Buzzard with a combination of cash and illegal drugs.  Shortly after Martin got into Buzzard’s car, they were stopped by officers with the South Charleston Police Department.  Officers were able to locate and recover a .25 semi-automatic handgun and a .22 caliber revolver.  Ultimately, Buzzard pled guilty on September 23, 2019.  Martin was recently found guilty after a two-day jury trial.  Martin faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced on March 11, 2020.    The South Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).   United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.

David Walker, Jr., 45, of Huntington, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Walker admitted that while on parole, he possessed two firearms.  Walker is prohibited from possessing firearms because he was convicted in 2018 of the felony offense of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances in Cabell County, West Virginia.  Walker faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on April 13, 2020.  The West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Division of Corrections Probation and Parole Office conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is handling the prosecution.

Ronald Lucas, 36, of Craigsville, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lucas admitted that on May 10, 2019, law enforcement officers with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department were serving an arrest warrant at his home in Craigsville for failure to pay child support. Lucas answered the door wearing an empty nylon holster. When the officers asked where the gun was located, he indicated that it was inside the residence close to where officers could see another individual laying on a bed. When an officer went inside the residence to secure it, a loaded 9 millimeter pistol was located and seized.  Lucas faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 4, 2020.  The Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Tessman is handling the prosecution.

The Walker case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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.

These cases are also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from Project Guardian partners as mentioned above. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.            

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Wood County man pled guilty to a drug offense,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Joshua Michael Conger, 41, of Parkersburg, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“388 grams of meth and two guns,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Conger has two prior drug convictions in state court and was on parole at the time of his arrest.  He won’t get parole in the federal system.”

On June 19, 2018, members of the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant on Conger’s Chevrolet pickup truck at his residence on Gihon Road.  Police seized approximately 388 grams of methamphetamine and two handguns from the vehicle.  Conger admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine.  Conger had previously been convicted in Wood County Circuit Court of operating a methamphetamine laboratory in 2012 and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in 2016.  He was on parole at the time of his arrest in June 2018. 

Conger faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 16, 2020.

The Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation.   Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that two different defendants were sentenced to federal prison this week for traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of having sex with a minor. 

“Our law enforcement partnerships are strong - VERY STRONG,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “The excellent work of our partners enables us to bring to justice those who prey on children. We will always place the highest priority on protecting our children.”

On January 14, 2020, Ryan Scott Kibble, 33, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to serve 57 months in federal prison for traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.  Upon release from prison, Kibble will be required to serve a term of 15 years of supervised release and register as sex offender. Kibble previously admitted that on March 1, 2019, he began communicating via a social messaging application and text messages with a minor he believed to be a 14-year-old girl located in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Despite knowing her age, Kibble discussed meeting the minor to engage in sexual intercourse. On the evening of March 1, 2019, Kibble also spoke with the purported minor on the phone, further discussing plans to meet the next day in Parkersburg in order to engage in oral sex and sexual intercourse with the minor in his vehicle. On March 2, 2019, Kibble traveled from his work in Belpre, Ohio to an arranged meeting location in Parkersburg in order to engage in sexual intercourse with the purported 14-year-old girl.  Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the sentencing hearing.

On January 15, 2020, Thomas Wilson Parks, Jr., 33, of Coolville, Ohio, was sentenced to serve 30 months in federal prison for traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor. Upon release from prison, Kibble will be required to serve a term of 10 years of supervised release and register as sex offender. Parks previously admitted that on March 2, 2019, he began communicating via a social messaging application with a minor he believed to be a 14-year-old girl located in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Despite knowing her age, Parks traveled from Ohio to Parkersburg shortly after beginning to chat with the purported minor in order to engage in sexual intercourse with her. While on the way to the meeting location, Parks stopped to buy condoms.  Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the sentencing hearing.

The investigations were both conducted by the FBI West Virginia Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in conjunction with the West Virginia States Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Parkersburg Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecutions.

These cases were 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.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Michigan men pled guilty to federal drug crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. 

“Rarely a week goes by that my office doesn’t convict drug dealers from Michigan,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “As long as they keep coming into this District to sell their drugs, we’ll keep prosecuting them.”

Tevin Robinson, 26, of Detroit, entered a guilty plea to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and Xanax.  Robinson admitted that in April 2017 he came to Huntington, West Virginia with the intent to distribute oxycodone and Xanax.  Officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Robinson was a passenger in on Interstate 64.  Officers located over 200 oxycodone pills and 53 Xanax pills.  Robinson faces up to twenty years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 13, 2020.  The investigation was conducted by the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.  

Milik Robinson, 23, of Pontiac, pled guilty to selling methamphetamine.  Robinson admitted that on August 19, 2019 he sold an ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant behind a residence located at 915 Washington Avenue in Huntington, West Virginia.  Robinson faces up to twenty years in prison when sentenced on April 13, 2020.  The Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.  

The plea hearings were held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is in charge of the prosecutions.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former Huttonsville Correctional Center guard and the mother of  a Huttonsville inmate were sentenced to federal prison for drug crimes,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Mark Steven Taylor, 40, of Richwood, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.  Pamela Gail Adkins, 44, of Oak Hill, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine and heroin.

“Sad and so tragic,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Since becoming United States Attorney, I’ve had many parents tell me they feel a sense of relief when their son or daughter is arrested because at least while incarcerated they won’t have access to drugs.  Not Adkins.  She wanted deadly meth and heroin delivered to her incarcerated son.  And Taylor, a correctional officer who is supposed to uphold the law, totally betrayed public trust to make a little money on the side by smuggling drugs into the prison.   Their drug smuggling scheme has them both headed to federal prison.”

Taylor previously admitted that on February 26, 2019, while employed as a Corrections Officer at the Huttonsville Correctional Center, Adkins gave him quantities of methamphetamine and heroin to smuggle into the prison.  He further admitted that she paid him $500, and that he had smuggled drugs into Huttonsville on one prior occasion.  Adkins admitted giving Taylor the drugs and paying him to smuggle them into the prison where her son was incarcerated. 

After being alerted to the scheme by Huttonsville Correctional Center Investigators, members of the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force set up surveillance in Craigsville where they observed Adkins give Taylor the package containing methamphetamine and heroin.  Task force officers arrested Taylor after finding him in possession of the drugs at the scene of the transaction.  They arrested Adkins in a traffic stop a short distance away. 

The Huttonsville Correctional Center and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.   Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks handled the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Benjamin Lee Parsons, 31, of Mineral Wells, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possessing firearms after being involuntarily committed to a mental hospital.  Upon release from prison, Parsons will serve three years of federal supervised release, during which he will receive mental health treatment.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).  

“We are simply not going to tolerate the possession of firearms by anyone that has been prohibited as a result of mental health considerations.  We are not going to wonder why we didn’t do more after the fact,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Project Guardian is an important, innovative initiative of Attorney General Barr aimed at reducing gun violence.  My office is working with ATF and other federal, state and local partners to identify, investigate and prosecute cases like this one where the threat of gun violence is real.  Excellent work by the entire team on this important case.”

Beginning in 2016, Parsons was under investigation arising from making threats against police and others and claiming to have interest in terrorist organizations.  In December 2015, he wore a mask to a church service in Mineral Wells.  In January 2017, he told several witnesses at a church in Parkersburg that he was armed, that he had recently thought about shooting police, that he had been watching violent terrorist videos, and that he had communicated with foreign terrorists and discussed several “soft targets” in Wood County.  The Wood County Sheriff’s Department responded and seized numerous firearms from his residence.  Parsons was later involuntarily committed to a mental hospital by Wood County Circuit Judge Jason Wharton in February 2017.  That adjudication prohibited him from possessing firearms under both state and federal law.

In October 2018, investigators learned that Parsons had acquired additional firearms including a high-capacity semiautomatic FNH model M249S 5.56 caliber assault rifle.  The rifle is the semiautomatic civilian version of the Squad Assault Weapon (SAW) used by the United States military.  Federal and local police learned that Parsons had obtained the weapon from another individual who told investigators that he had purchased it for Parsons from a licensed firearms dealer in Marietta, Ohio.  Police arrested Parsons on October 31, 2018 on a federal charge of conspiracy to provide false information to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the acquisition of a firearm.  On November 2, 2018, investigators executed a search warrant at a wooded area in Mineral Wells where Parsons had been living.  When investigators executed the search warrant, they recovered the FNH assault rifle and a Molot 5.45x39mm rifle from a locked case Parsons kept at his campsite on the property.  The FNH was loaded with approximately 190 rounds of belted ammunition in a drum magazine. Investigators also located and seized 12 magazines for the Molot loaded with 164 rounds of ammunition, 32 additional unloaded magazines,  and approximately 640 rounds of 9mm and other rifle ammunition. 

On May 20, 2019, Parsons pled guilty in federal court to possessing the SAW and Molot 5.45x39 rifle after being committed to a mental institution.

Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks handled the prosecution.  Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the plea hearing. 

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian partners:  the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.            

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Three defendants were sentenced for federal drug crimes today by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

“Three more drug dealers are on their way to federal prison for peddling their poisons in and around Huntington,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We continue our work with federal, state and local law enforcement to bust up drug dealers and to put drug thugs on notice -- if we find you, we will prosecute you to the maximum extent of the law.”

Quashane Varner, 22, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Varner previously admitted that on March 9, 2018, officers with the Huntington Police Department searched his rental vehicle.  Officers found two bags of methamphetamine in the center console.  In total, officers found 47 grams of methamphetamine and a digital scale.  The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.  

Krystal Ewing, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.  Ewing previously admitted that between December 2018 and May 2019 she conspired with other individuals to distribute heroin and fentanyl in Huntington, West Virginia.  Ewing admitted that she would travel to Detroit, Michigan to obtain heroin for George Lockhart for him to sell in Huntington.  Ewing is the first defendant sentenced that was prosecuted as part of Operation Free Market, a long-term drug investigation in the Huntington area.  The investigation was the result of a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.  

Kenneth Alexander, 33, of Huntington, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin.  Alexander previously admitted that on August 1, 2018, he and another individual sold heroin to a confidential informant in the 1100 block of 9th Avenue in Huntington, West Virginia.  The Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.  

Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecutions.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man pled guilty today for his participation in a drug trafficking operation in Fayette County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Bobby Mack, Jr., 39, from Scarbro, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.  Mack is the twelfth and final defendant to enter a guilty plea as a result of Operation Mountaineer Highway, an extensive investigation into drug trafficking in the Fayette County area.   Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, with the support of the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug Task Force, the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Oak Hill Police Department. 

“182 grams of heroin. Firearms. $343,097 in drug proceeds,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Mack was part of a significant drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing massive amounts of deadly drugs in southern West Virginia.  All of the defendants charged as part of Operation Mountaineer Highway now stand convicted of their crimes.   Responding to the opiate crisis with tough law enforcement has been, and will remain, a priority for me and my office.  We are achieving remarkable results.”

Mack admitted that he participated in the drug trafficking organization by supplying heroin to a co-conspirator.  More specifically Mack admitted that on July 16, 2018, he distributed 182 grams of heroin to co-conspirator.  After Mack distributed the heroin, the co-conspirator was stopped by law enforcement officers and admitted that he had obtained the heroin from Mack at Mack’s residence in Scarbro.  Based on this information, officers obtained a search warrant for Mack’s residence.  While conducting the search warrant, officers located items commonly used in drug distribution, three firearms, and approximately $343,097 dollars in cash.  As part of the plea agreement, Mack agreed to forfeit to the United States the firearms which he was prohibited from possessing due to a prior felony conviction, as well as the $343,097. 

Mack faces at least 5 years in federal prison and a $5,000,000.00 fine when he is sentenced on April 9, 2020.

Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Andrew J. Tessman are in charge of the prosecution.  The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An Ohio woman pled guilty today to possessing a quantity of methamphetamine in relation to drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Danielle Seagraves pled guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“Collaborative and proactive law enforcement efforts are keeping significant amounts of dangerous drugs off our streets,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “And it is only by prosecuting cases like this that we can hold the poison peddlers accountable.”

Seagraves admitted that on April 18, 2017, she had in her possession approximately 33 grams of methamphetamine that she intended to sell to individuals in and around Ripley, West Virginia. Before she could complete any drug transaction, officers with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested Seagraves and seized the methamphetamine. Seagraves’ arrest was part of a successful far-reaching April 2017 inter-agency investigation and sweep that ultimately resulted in the arrest of thirteen individuals, eight of whom were charged with meth-related offenses. The investigation into these individuals focused on methamphetamine that was being brought from Ohio into Jackson County, West Virginia. That investigation removed an estimated $320,000 worth of methamphetamine from the community.

Seagraves faces up twenty years in prison when sentenced on April 6, 2020. Seagraves is currently serving a multi-year state prison term in Ohio for drug-related activity.

The Jackson County Bureau of Investigation, comprised of deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and officers with the Ravenswood and Ripley Police Departments, worked closely with the West Virginia State Police, the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force, and the DEA, to conduct the investigation.  United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin F. Scott and Erik S. Goes are handling the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va.—A Huntington woman was sentenced to federal prison for embezzlement, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Frances McComas, 57, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and five years of supervised release for embezzling money from a federal credit union.  She also was ordered to pay $1,000 a month in restitution.  

“McComas was a credit union employee that stole from her employer for almost five years,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “As a result of  the FBI’s investigation and the subsequent prosecution of McComas by my office, she is headed to federal prison, and just as importantly, she will be paying restitution to the credit union.”

McComas previously admitted that starting in 2015 and continuing until April 2019 she stole $165,500 from the federal credit union’s vault and falsified the financial records to hide the embezzlement.  McComas started in 2015 by stealing a few thousand dollars, but she became even greedier as she started taking larger amounts every month, until being caught for the embezzlement almost five years later.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation.   United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Arthur handled the prosecution. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pled guilty to a gun crime,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Harry Lee Nguyen, 23, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

“My office is committed to rooting out violence on Charleston’s west side,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “An important part of our strategy is enforcing federal firearms laws and keeping guns out of the wrong hands.  Nguyen is prohibited from possessing guns because of his two prior felony convictions.”

Nguyen admitted that in the early morning of August 3, 2019 he was walking on the west side of Charleston with another individual.  When police attempted to stop Nguyen, he threw a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun into the yard of a nearby house.  The police immediately detained Nguyen and found the firearm.

Nguyen was convicted on February 1, 2016, in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia of Wanton Endangerment Involving a Firearm.  He was also convicted on May 1, 2017, in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia of Unlawful Wounding.

Nguyen faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced on April 29, 2020.

The Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation.  United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Stefan Hasselblad is handling the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A federal jury convicted a Virginia man yesterday after a two-day trial, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. The jury found Jeffrey William Sexton, Jr., 27, of Virginia Beach, guilty of traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor on June 1, 2019.

“As a dad, I cannot adequately describe how much matters like this trouble me.  Cases like this are disturbing and difficult to work.  Sexton thought he was traveling to engage in sex with a 13 year old and, to the nightmare of every parent, even encouraged her to sneak out of her house,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We are blessed that Sexton was communicating with an undercover officer and not a real 13-year-old.  We are doing everything within our power to keep West Virginia’s children safe from predators like Sexton.  I want to thank the FBI Task Force and my prosecution team for bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”

Sexton had previously been charged in a single-count indictment with travel to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor. At trial, evidence revealed that Sexton began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl on a social messaging and dating application on approximately May 28, 2019. During the conversations, Sexton brought up the topic of oral sex with the purported minor. At approximately 1 a.m. on June 1, 2019, Sexton traveled from Bluefield, Virginia, to Bluefield, West Virginia, to meet the alleged 13-year-old after telling her to sneak out of her house. On May 31, 2019, Sexton had also reached out to chat with two other law enforcement officers posing as minors on the same messaging application, discussing oral sex with one officer who stated she was only 14 years old.

Sexton faces up to thirty years in prison when sentenced on May 19, 2020.

The investigation was the result of an undercover operation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s West Virginia Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which included task force officers from the Raleigh and Mercer County Sheriffs’ Departments.  

Senior United States Senior Judge David A. Faber presided over the trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Kathleen Robeson handled the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two defendants pled guilty for their roles in a conspiracy that involved large quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron and sold in West Virginia,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. 

“This collaborative investigation dismantled a drug trafficking organization that was transporting significant amounts of meth from Akron into West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Although our work is never done, it is through investigations like this that we are able to disrupt the supply of dangerous drugs coming into our state and hold drug dealers accountable.”

Bruce David Angeli, 57, of Charleston, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Angeli admitted that between May and June of 2019, he participated with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia.  During the conspiracy, Angeli frequently obtained quantities of methamphetamine which were transported by other co-conspirators from Akron to be sold in multiple cities in West Virginia including Huntington and Charleston.  Once Angeli was supplied with the methamphetamine, he would distribute it to other individuals in various amounts.  As part of his plea agreement, Angeli admitted that he was responsible for distributing up to 200 grams of methamphetamine.    Angeli faces 5 to 40 years in prison when sentenced on April 6, 2020.

Darla Renae Lattea, 40, of Scott Depot, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and prohibited possession of firearms by an unlawful drug user.  Lattea admitted that, on June 11, 2019, agents executed a search warrant at her residence in Scott Depot.  During the search, agents seized approximately 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine and four firearms.  Lattea was present in the residence during the search and admitted that she possessed the methamphetamine and intended to sell it.  Lattea also admitted that she possessed the firearms and that she was a regular user of methamphetamine.  As part of her plea, Lattea further admitted that between April and September of 2019, she participated with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia.  During the conspiracy, Lattea obtained large quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron and sold in multiple cities in West Virginia including Hurricane, Scott Depot, and Charleston.  Lattea admitted that she was supplied methamphetamine on credit, that she would distribute the methamphetamine, and that she would return proceeds from the sales to drug dealers from the Akron area.  Lattea also admitted that she was responsible for distributing up to 5 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.   Lattea faces 10 years to life in prison when sentenced on April 13, 2020.

The joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, 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 prosecutions.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Jackson County women pled guilty to a firearm offense,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Destiny Moore, 19, and Rebecca Sellers, 18, of Ravenswood, pled guilty to stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer.

“Tragic.  Stealing firearms from a licensed dealer is a serious federal offense,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “These young people who should be thinking about going to school or work, or what movie they would like to see, instead find themselves waiting to learn how much time they will be spending in federal prison as a result of their crimes.”

Moore and Sellers admitted that in the middle of the night on April 7, 2019, along with James Evans and a juvenile, they stole approximately 24 firearms from the Old and New Sports store located in Ravenswood and stole approximately 24 firearms.  Moore drove Sellers’ vehicle during the robbery while Evans and the juvenile broke into the store.  Police have recovered most of the stolen firearms.  Evans pled guilty on December 11, 2019, and the juvenile was prosecuted in Jackson County Circuit Court. 

Moore and Sellers face up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on April 22, 2020.   Evans is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2020.

The Ravenswood Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pled guilty to selling fentanyl,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Bryant Holloway, 41, pled guilty to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Holloway admitted that on April 24, 2019, he sold 95 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $10,000. 

“95 grams of fentanyl -- enough to kill almost 50,000 people,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Fentanyl is powerful and deadly.  Many West Virginians have died as a result of fentanyl overdoses.  We owe a debt of gratitude to the investigators that kept this from hitting the streets of Huntington.”  

Holloway faces between five and forty years in prison when sentenced on April 6, 2020.

Operation Free Market was a long-term drug investigation in the Huntington area.  The investigation was the result of a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.  

The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit, Michigan man was sentenced to federal prison for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Ted Anthony Graham, 32, was sentenced to six years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin. 

“A Detroit heroin dealer is headed to federal prison,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “With the beginning of the new year, you can rest assured that our focus and sense of urgency remain on ridding West Virginia communities of out-of-state drug dealers.”

Graham previously admitted that on July 1, 2014, he was traveling to Charleston, West Virginia on Interstate 64. The vehicle he was traveling in was stopped near the Dunbar exit for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, law enforcement discovered that Graham was in possession of 40.212 grams of heroin. Graham further admitted that on June 3, 2015, his motel room in Kanawha City was searched pursuant to a search warrant. Detectives located 56.093 grams of heroin, a digital scale, a drug ledger, and a black and silver 9mm pistol. Graham admitted that he intended to sell the heroin to other individuals in the Charleston area.

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation.   Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An Akron man pled guilty to a heroin charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Deangelo “O” Reeves, 34, pled guilty to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it.

“An all too familiar occurrence,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Regardless of whether they are from Detroit or Akron, or right here at home, drug dealers caught peddling poisons in my District will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”   

Reeves admitted that on March 5, 2018 he threw a bag of heroin out of his car while being followed by police on McKee Avenue in Charleston.  The heroin had a street value of over $1,000 and Reeves admitted he had intended to distribute it.

Reeves faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 22, 2020.

The Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) investigated the case.   United States District Judge C. Irene presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Stefan Hasselblad is handling the prosecution.

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