Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Hamlin, West Virginia man pled guilty to being in possession of a sawed off shotgun that was not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record,  announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Jeffery Turley admitted that on March 17, 2018, he was in possession of a sawed off shotgun that was not registered. 

Turley faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on November 30, 2019.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the West Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Berger presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Christopher R. Arthur 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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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man was convicted of a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Shyqwon Carter, 21, of Charleston, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.  Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Charleston Police Department and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

“Marijuana, meth, guns and cash,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “If you are distributing illegal drugs, whether it’s marijuana, meth, heroin, or any other controlled substance, we will prosecute you.”

Carter resided with family in Charleston, West Virginia.  On May 17, 2018, MDENT detectives arrived at this residence to execute an arrest warrant issued by Kanawha County Circuit Court for Carter’s arrest.  Detectives were given permission to search the home by a family member.  Officers recovered two loaded .40 caliber Glock handguns, one of which was stolen, over 100 grams of marijuana, several baggies of marijuana, methamphetamine, and digital scales.  Over $4,000 cash was found in Carter’s pants pocket.  Detectives believed there to be additional marijuana in the area and ultimately obtained a search warrant for an abandoned vehicle outside of Carter’s home.  Inside the car, detectives seized additional marijuana, two more loaded firearms, and ammunition.  In all, MDENT officers recovered over 10 pounds of marijuana that Carter intended for distribution. 

Carter is facing up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on November 12, 2019.  Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.  United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ronald Collins, 39, of Greenbrier County, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for federal gun crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. The sentence was an upward departure from the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.  The Court found that Collins obstructed justice when he assaulted his former counsel.  Further, the Court found that an upward departure was warranted because of the defendant’s violent ideations, threatening behavior and lack of respect for law enforcement. 

“Another upward departure from the federal sentencing guidelines granted by the Court at my request.  This is the second request for an upward departure granted in the past two weeks based on the gravity of the offense.  I will continue to seek upward departures where the circumstances warrant,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Prosecution of cases like this are important. By enforcing federal gun laws, we keep guns out of the wrong hands.” 

In March 2019, a federal jury convicted Collins of making a false and fictitious written statement on an ATF Form 4473 in order to acquire a firearm and of being in possession of a firearm after being committed to a mental institution.   In January 2018, Collins lied on ATF form 4473, indicating that he had never been committed to a mental institution, and thereafter purchased a firearm.  Collins posted several videos of himself with the firearm on social media, including one of him shooting the firearm, which were shown to the jury. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorneys Steve Loew and Alex Hamner handled the prosecution. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Two Charleston men pled guilty to federal drug trafficking offenses, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearings.

“Law enforcement intercepted a pound of pure meth in this case,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “I commend law enforcement for their work in this case that prevented further distribution of this powerful drug.”

Christian Ryan Bowles, 27, pled guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Public court hearings and Bowles’ plea agreement established that on August 2, 2018, Bowles brought mason jars containing about a pound of pure methamphetamine to Randall Lee Patton’s house on Garrison Avenue in Charleston.  Bowles supplied Patton with 34 grams of the methamphetamine.  Patton then had his neighbor, George Ray Breckenridge, transport the 34 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential police informant at the Dunbar Plaza Hotel.  Police investigators conducting surveillance saw Bowles place the mason jars in the woods behind his house, where they were recovered.  Bowles faces up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 13, 2019. 

George Ray Breckenridge, 41, pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.  Court hearings and public filings established that, on August 2, 2018, Breckenridge, working with two other drug traffickers, traveled from his house on Garrison Avenue in Charleston to the Dunbar Plaza Hotel, where he delivered 34 grams of pure methamphetamine to a police confidential informant.  Police investigators tried to initiate a traffic stop on Breckenridge’s car as he drove back home from the hotel.  Breckenridge then took off back to his house on Garrison Avenue, where he fled on foot into the woods.  Investigators arrested Breckenridge minutes later.  Breckenridge faces a mandatory minimum ten years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 14, 2019. 

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), Nitro Police Department, Charleston Police Department, South Charleston Police Department, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman is handling the prosecutions.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man pled guilty for his participation in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Fayette County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Ryan Johnson, 37, of Oak Hill, Fayette County, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin and a quantity of oxycodone.  The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force conducted the investigation with the support of the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 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. 

“Johnson is the tenth defendant convicted as a result of Operation Mountaineer Highway,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “This exemplary operation conducted by law enforcement dismantled a significant DTO and, no doubt, saved lives.”

Johnson admitted that between October 2017 and September 2018, he worked with other members of a DTO operating between Fayette County, West Virginia and New Jersey to distribute heroin and oxycodone pills.  Johnson admitted to selling oxycodone and heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on two separate occasions.  He further admitted that he was supplied with drugs by other members of the DTO that transported the drugs from New Jersey to Fayette County, West Virginia.  Johnson also admitted to sending approximately $21,000 to his suppliers in New Jersey as payment for controlled substances.  The controlled substances he obtained from New Jersey were re-distributed to other members of the DTO in Fayette County.  Johnson admitted that he knew it was the plan to distribute the oxycodone and heroin in the Southern District of West Virginia.         

Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than 5 years and up to 40 years in federal prison and a $5,000,000 fine when he is sentenced on November 12, 2019.

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. – Jay James Field, of Mingo County, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.   Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

On November 3, 2017, Logan County 911 Dispatch received a call regarding two suspicious individuals who left a known drug house.  A Logan County Sheriff’s Deputy proceeded to the area, and identified the two individuals described by 911.  The Deputy tried to speak to Fields who fled on foot with a gun in his hand.  The Deputy retrieved the gun after Fields discarded it during chase.    United States Marshals soon apprehended Fields. 

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Chris Arthur handled the prosecution.  

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Jackson County man plead guilty to federal drug and firearm offenses, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Christopher Spaulding, 47, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking before Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber.  Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

“Spaulding wanted to trade meth for a firearm and then he attempted to obstruct justice,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Two horrible wrongs don’t make a right – it just lands you in federal prison.” 

Spaulding admitted that on December 19, 2018, in the Walmart parking lot in Ripley, West Virginia, he took possession of a firearm from a cooperating witness.  At that time, Spaulding was in possession of methamphetamine and intended to trade the methamphetamine for the firearm.  Spaulding further admitted that he made calls from the jail to ask individuals to approach the cooperating witness in an effort to get the witness to change their story. 

Spaulding faces a minimum of five years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on December 16, 2019.  Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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 former corrections officer pled guilty to a federal drug trafficking offense today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  John Edward Roach, II, 47, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.  Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the St. Albans Police Department, and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

“Roach abused his position as a Corrections Officer to deal meth inside the jail,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Instead of upholding the law, he broke the law.  We are holding him accountable for this total breach of public trust.”

According to public court filings and other documents, an inmate at the South Central Regional Jail paid Roach $2,000 to smuggle contraband into the jail in early April 2019.  Police investigators then arranged a sting operation, where undercover agents posed as a drug traffickers attempting to smuggle methamphetamine into the jail.  On April 11, 2019, Roach met with an undercover agent and received $2,000 payment and four ounces of methamphetamine.   Investigators arrested Roach before he could transport the methamphetamine to the jail.

Roach faces up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 6, 2019.  Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman is handling the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that five different defendants appeared in federal court during the past week to plead guilty to traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of having sex with a minor. 

“These are heinous crimes that prey on our most vulnerable,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “The five convictions obtained within just the last week demonstrate the high volume of these cases that we prosecute.  We are working tirelessly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to protect our children from predators.” 

On August 5, 2019, Bruce Ward, 34, of Huntington, West Virginia, pled guilty before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.  Ward admitted that during January 2019 he communicated via a social messaging application and text message with a minor he believed to be a 15-year-old girl in Huntington, West Virginia. During the conversations, Ward discussed arranging for the minor to meet him in order to engage in sexual intercourse. In late January 2019, Ward traveled from South Point, Ohio, to Huntington, West Virginia, to meet the purported minor to engage in sexual activity. Ward faces up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 18, 2019.

On August 7, 2019, Gary Wayne Lilly, 39, of Josephine, Raleigh County, West Virginia, pled guilty before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger to traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.  Lilly admitted that beginning in late May 2019 he communicated via a social messaging application and telephone with a minor he believed to be a 13-year-old girl in Bluefield. During the conversations, Lilly discussed meeting the minor female to engage in oral sex and sexual intercourse. On June 1, 2019, Lilly traveled from Josephine, West Virginia, to Bluefield, Virginia, to meet the purported 13-year-old minor. Lilly stopped in Princeton on his way to Bluefield in order to purchase condoms. Lilly faces up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 13, 2019.

On August 8, 2019, Johnathan Matthew Taylor, 24, of Chesapeake, Ohio, pled guilty before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger to traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.  Taylor 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 he understood to be 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. Taylor faces up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on January 23, 2020.

On August 12, 2019, Kevin Lee Boston, 58, of Woodsfield, Ohio, pled guilty before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin to traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.  Boston admitted that from on May 31, 2019 through June 5, 2019, he communicated via a social messaging application with a minor he believed to be a 14-year-old girl he understood to be located in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Despite knowing her age, Boston discussed traveling to Parkersburg from Ohio to meet the minor to engage in sexual intercourse. On June 5, 2019, Boston traveled from Woodsfield, Ohio to an arranged meeting location in Parkersburg in order to engage in sexual intercourse with the purported 14-year-old girl. Boston faces up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 4, 2019.

Also on August 12, 2019, Ryan Scott Kibble, 33, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, pled guilty before Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber to traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.  Kibble 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. Per the terms of his plea agreement, Kibble will be sentenced to between 46 and 78 months in prison when he is sentenced on December 16, 2019.

Upon release from prison, all five defendants will be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. They will also be required to register as sex offenders. The investigations were all conducted by the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the West Virginia States Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with additional assistance from the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Parkersburg Police Department, and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. 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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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced to 52 months in prison for a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Steven Craig Coleman, 31, previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin.  Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Charleston Police Department, South Charleston Police Department, and Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

“Tragic,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Coleman, who has a 2016 involuntary manslaughter conviction for distributing heroin to a woman who suffered a fatal overdose, was at it again.  Too many West Virginians have lost their lives because of these deadly drugs and poison peddlers like Coleman.”

As established by public court filings and hearings, in July 2017, police investigators learned from a confidential source that Coleman was selling several ounces of heroin from his house on 7th Avenue in Charleston.  On July 20, 2017, Coleman sold a confidential informant a substance containing fentanyl.  A week later, investigators executed a search warrant at Coleman’s house, where they found several thousand dollars in drug proceeds and over 30 grams of methamphetamine outside of an open window near Coleman.

On August 8, 2018, police again met Coleman at his house and he gave them permission to search his room.  Coleman directed an investigator to where he was hiding his drugs.  Police ultimately found close to 10 grams of drug mixtures containing heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl, a deadly fentanyl analogue.  Coleman was previously convicted for involuntary manslaughter in 2016 for distributing heroin to a woman, causing a fatal overdose.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A second former postal employee who helped deliver marijuana which was mailed from California to Huntington over a period of several years pled guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Michael Mason Morton, 54, entered a guilty plea to distribution of marijuana in federal court in Huntington.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the West Virginia State Police – Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.

“Yet another postal employee turned drug dealer,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.   “The postal employees engaged in this scheme abused their positions, turning postal delivery routes into drug trafficking routes.  This was an incredibly egregious, long-term drug networking scheme operating from California to West Virginia.  Those involved will be held accountable.”

On March 15, 2018, agents located two parcels containing marijuana at the Huntington Post Office which had been mailed from California.  Agents observed Morton load the parcels into his postal delivery truck and drive to the Dollar General store located in the 800 block of Norway Avenue in Huntington.  At that location, Morton provided the parcels to James Waylon Molinaro who arrived in a separate vehicle.  A Trooper with the West Virginia State Police subsequently conducted a traffic stop of Molinaro’s vehicle in the 1000 block of 9th Street in Huntington and recovered the parcels.  The parcels were found to contain a total of 16 pounds of marijuana.

As part of his plea, Morton admitted that, between 2015 and March of 2018, he conspired with Molinaro, Chris Crookshanks, and others to distribute marijuana in the Huntington area. During the conspiracy, Molinaro acquired marijuana in California and arranged for it to be shipped through the United States mail from California to Huntington.  Once the parcels containing marijuana arrived in Huntington, Molinaro paid multiple postal employees, including Morton and Crookshanks who were letter carriers with the postal service, to deliver the parcels on their assigned delivery routes or to meet Molinaro at other locations to provide the parcels to him.  Morton admitted that he was responsible for the delivery of up to 80 kilograms of marijuana during his participation in the conspiracy. 

Molinaro pled guilty on August 1, 2019, to possession with intent to distribute marijuana based on his involvement in the conspiracy.  Molinaro also pled guilty to prohibited possession of a firearm by a convicted felon stemming from an unrelated investigation and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2019.  Crookshanks pled guilty on August 5, 2019, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and is also scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2019.

Morton faces up to 5 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 4, 2019.

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecutions.  The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two New Jersey men pled guilty today for their participation in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Fayette County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Fuquan Hagler, 40, of East Orange, New Jersey, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and Brian Kelley, 46, also from New Jersey, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute more than 500  grams of cocaine.  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, 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. 

“Two more out-of-state drug dealers held accountable for peddling their poisons in our communities,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “The drug dealers involved in this DTO were wreaking havoc in our southern counties, but we have put them out of business.”

Hagler admitted that in June 2018, he worked with other members of a drug trafficking organization operating between Fayette County, West Virginia and New Jersey to distribute oxycodone pills.  Hagler admitted that on June 20, 2018 he was a passenger in car transporting oxycodone pills from New Jersey to West Virginia.  It was the plan to deliver the pills to another member of the drug trafficking organization in West Virginia to be redistributed and sold illegally in the Southern District of West Virginia for profit.  Prior to delivering the pills to West Virginia, the car Hagler was in was stopped by the Pennsylvania State Police.  During the traffic stop, approximately 997 oxycodone pills were recovered.  The pills were hidden in a secret compartment, commonly referred to as a trap. 

Additionally, Kelley admitted that on July 7, 2018 he was involved in a conspiracy that was transporting controlled substances from New Jersey to the Southern District of West Virginia.  Kelley admitted to traveling to a co-defendant’s residence in Fayette County, and picking up over $21,000 in cash for another member of the drug trafficking organization.  Police officers later stopped the car Kelley was driving and found over $21,000 in cash and approximately 639 grams of cocaine.  Both the cash and the cocaine were found in a hidden electronic compartment.          

Hagler faces up to twenty years in prison and a $1,000,000.00 fine.  Kelley faces a mandatory minimum period of not less than 5 years and up to 40 years and a $5,000,000 fine.  Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2019.  

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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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A Huntington man, Zachary Whitmore, 28, pled guilty today for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

On November 1, 2018, a Trooper with the West Virginia State Police assisted West Virginia Division of Corrections Probation and Parole with locating a parolee.  Whitmore was found walking on a street in Huntington.  Officers found a 22 Magnum American Arms Revolver in his pocket.  Whitmore was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law because of a 2015 felony conviction for Entering without Breaking and Conspiracy in Cabell County, West Virginia.

Whitmore faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 25, 2019.

The West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Division of Corrections Probation and Parole conducted the investigation.  United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing.  Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

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  Columbus, Ohio man pled guilty to federal drug distribution and firearm offenses, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  D’Alfonza Mikell, 26, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

“Meth. Heroin. Firearm. And in a McDonald’s parking lot no less,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Definitely not a happy meal.  Drug dealers aren’t wanted here and we’ll do everything within our power to remove them from our communities and to protect West Virginia families.”

On January 10, 2019,  detectives with the Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team stationed themselves around the McDonald’s parking lot of Washington Street East, in Charleston.  They had been warned that Mikell had come from Ohio and would be conducting a drug transaction that morning.  A white pickup truck, with Mikell and three other individuals inside, pulled in and parked.  Detectives watched as the defendant met with a confidential source.  After meeting with the confidential source,  MDENT detectives approached the truck in which Mikell was seated.  Mikell was ordered out of the truck and at that time, detectives observed a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol hidden underneath his leg.  The defendant also had over 25 grams of methamphetamine and 2 grams of heroin inside his jacket pocket.  Digital scales, 13 more grams of methamphetamine, and 2 more grams of heroin were inside the truck’s console. 

Mikell faces a minimum of 5 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on December 16, 2019.  Assistant United States Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner  and Erik Goes are handling the prosecution.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Cabell County man pled guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Billy Dean Vance, age 43, of Huntington, pled guilty to distributing oxycodone.

“Selling pills from his house and adding to the death, destruction and chaos of an epidemic,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Pill dealers have caused death and destruction across our state.  Not anymore.”

On June 20, 2018, Vance sold 20, 30-milligram oxycodone pills for $700 to a person working as a confidential informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration. The sale occurred in the driveway of Vance’s Crestmont Drive home.

Vance had on prior occasions made two additional sales, both involving 10 30-milligram oxycodone pills.  Those sales occurred on May 31 and June 12, 2018.  On July 2, 2018, law enforcement served a search warrant at Vance’s residence and found more oxycodone pills, hydrocodone pills and marijuana.  They also recovered approximately $3500 in cash.

Vance faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $1 million dollars when he is sentenced on November 18, 2019.   The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.  United Stated District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing.   Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey is handling the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County woman pled guilty to a federal drug charge.  Shanika Collins, 41, of Charleston, pled guilty to one count of distribution of marijuana.  Collins is the second defendant to be convicted based on an investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).  Earlier this year, Collins’ former boyfriend, James Michael Hill, pled guilty to multiple federal charges, and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. 

“Collins was dealing marijuana on behalf of her boyfriend,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “And now she’s convicted of a federal crime.  Remember, those that do the crime together, do the time together.  Marijuana is illegal under federal law.  This office prosecutes all federal crimes, including those involving marijuana.”

Collins admitted that on May 7, 2018, she sold a half of a pound of mid-grade marijuana to a confidential informant in exchange for $600.  On May 10, 2018, MDENT detectives applied for multiple search warrants involving various locations pursuant to the investigation.  Collins consented to letting detectives search her apartment.  MDENT detectives were able to seize over 15 pounds of mid-grade to high-grade marijuana from Collins’ apartment.   Collins acknowledged that she was dating Hill, and that she was storing and delivering the marijuana on his behalf.

Collins faces up to 5 years in prison when she is sentenced on November 7, 2019.

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

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Received more than four years in federal prison for his cocaine and firearm possession near a local casino

CHARLESTON, W.Va.—A Charleston man was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Michael A. Parker,  37, of Charleston, West Virginia, received a sentence of 49 months imprisonment.  Parker previously pled guilty to Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, and also to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm on April 26, 2019.   Parker also agreed to forfeit the firearm and $14,225.87 that were recovered from the scene.  Stuart commended the investigation by the Nitro Police Department, assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory and Mardi Gras Casino security workers.  

“Another felon with a gun dealing drugs,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We see this over and over again.  Prior felony offenders reentering our communities that possess guns and pick up their previous criminal activity where they left off, will find themselves reentering federal prison.”

Parker admitted that on July 28, 2018 at 5:00 a.m. in the morning, he had driven to the  Mardi Gras Casino in Nitro, West Virginia.  He double-parked the car he was driving and went into the casino.  Casino security noticed the double-parked car and also saw a gun on the floorboard of the car.  Casino security contacted the Nitro Police to get their assistance in asking Parker to move his car.  Parker initially agreed to move the car and offered to meet the police outside.  Instead, Parker walked out a different door of the casino, fled into the woods near the casino, and hid there. 

Casino security workers monitored Parker’s flight with security cameras and relayed this information to the Nitro Police.  Parker was quickly located and eventually agreed to return to his car.  Once there, Parker agreed to unlock his car and the police recovered the gun.  While securing the firearm, the Nitro Police officer immediately noticed a quantity of cocaine and a large stack of cash in the car.  Once this evidence was removed from the car, Parker fled a second time into the woods.  He was eventually apprehended with the assistance of a K9 unit.  Police recovered a large bag of cocaine, 5 smaller bags of cocaine, a bag of marijuana, $14,225.87 in cash and a Smith and Wesson .380 caliber pistol with 11 rounds of ammunition and an extended magazine. 

Parker is a prior convicted felon, having been convicted in United States District Court of Distribution of Cocaine Base and Possession with the Intent to Deliver Cocaine in 2004.  Parker has not been pardoned or otherwise had his right to own a firearm restored.  ATF traced the firearm and concluded it had traveled in interstate commerce.  The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory tested the recovered drugs and confirmed that they were cocaine and marijuana, both controlled substances.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Kristin Scott are handling the prosecution. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Brandon J. Carter, 35, of Charleston, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

On January 12, 2019, at approximately 3:38 a.m., an officer with the Charleston Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a scooter operated by Brandon Carter because it was being operated on the sidewalk at Patrick Street near Fourth Avenue. The officer recognized Carter from a shooting incident that occurred on October 7, 2018, near Delaware Avenue. The officer knew that Carter is a prohibited person and Carter admitted to having three prior felonies that prohibit him from possessing firearms. Carter told the officer that he was currently out on bond relative to the incident from October 2018. Carter told the officer, prior to a pat-down, that he was in possession of a Kel-Tec .380  firearm.

Carter faces up to ten years in prison when he is sentenced on November 6, 2019.

The Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.  United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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. – Two men were sentenced by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger for immigration crimes today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

“Six prior removals between these two men,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Line skippers.  They need to get in line and obtain permission to legally enter our country.”

Juan Carlos Reyes-Molina, 23, a Honduran man, was sentenced for “time served”  Reyes-Molina previously entered a guilty plea to the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien on May 29, 2019 and has been incarcerated since March 1, 2019.  Reyes-Molina was remanded to ICE agents for administrative removal proceedings.   The West Virginia State Police and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted the investigation.

On March 9, 2019,  a West Virginia State Police Trooper saw a car that was stopped at Mile Marker 52 on the West Virginia Turnpike outside of Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia.  Three men were standing outside a car with its emergency blinkers on.  When the Trooper pulled in, the men ran to the car and began to drive away.  The Trooper asked the driver what was happening and for a driver’s license.  The driver could not communicate with the Trooper due to a language barrier and did not have a driver’s license.  The Trooper contacted a translator service provided by ICE to assist.  The driver and two other individuals spoke with ICE agents telephonically and all three were found to be in the United States illegally. All three men were taken into custody and fingerprinted.  Reyes, one of the three men, was found to be a prior reentry case.  Specifically, his prints matched four prior removals from Arizona and California in 2017 and 2018.  Reyes admitted to ICE agents that he was in the United States illegally and had not obtained permission to legally enter the United States.  He had not otherwise sought legal status or citizenship. Reyes further admitted to ICE agents that he was a Honduran citizen.

Baltazer Victorino Tulul-Ajqui, a Guatemalan national man, was sentenced to “time served.”  Tulul-Ajqui, 30, was immediately remanded to ICE custody for administrative  hearings concerning removal.   Tulul-Ajqui previously pled guilty to the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien on June 5, 2019 and has been in federal custody since May 1, 2019.   The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted the investigation.

On May 1, 2019, Tulul-Ajqui was found in Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia by ICE agents who received a tip that he was working illegally in the United States.  ICE agents located Tulul-Ajqui’s residence and arrested him when he confirmed that he was in the United States illegally.  Tulul-Ajqui had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.

Fingerprinting matched Tulul-Ajqui to two prior removals from the United States in 2010 and 2015.  In both cases, Tulul-Ajqui was found by immigration judges to be in the United States illegally and he was deported to Guatemala.  He had not obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Tulul-Ajqui further admitted to ICE agents that he was a Guatemalan citizen.

Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for the prosecutions.  

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart issued the following statement regarding Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy today:

Prescribing controlled drugs is a privilege and not a right.  Every pharmacy that fills prescriptions of scheduled narcotics has a corresponding responsibility to assure that those prescriptions do not include unresolvable red flags and are for a legitimate medical purpose.  It is the proper role of law enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration to ensure public safety with respect to the dispensing of controlled substances by pharmacists and providers.  We take this responsibility seriously.

Today, an Order to Show Cause and Immediate Suspension of Registration was issued to Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy located in Oak Hill, West Virginia.  Pursuant to Sections 303 and 304 of the Controlled Substances Act, Title 21, United States Code, Sections 823 and 824, Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy has had its Drug Enforcement Administration Certificate of Registration suspended because it constitutes an “imminent danger to the public health or safety.”  Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy is registered with the DEA to handle substances in Schedules II through V at its 819 Main Street East, Oak Hill, WV location.  Martin Njoku is the owner and pharmacist in charge.  The suspension was based on improper dispensing from at least December 2016 to March 2019, filling approximately 2,000 prescriptions for a widely-abused Schedule III narcotic, Subutex, in the face of obvious red flags of drug abuse and diversion.  Over half the prescriptions came from an out-of-state clinic located almost 200 miles away from Oak Hill.  The Pharmacy’s customers drove long distances – in some cases more than 600 miles – to obtain and fill their prescriptions and many of them paid in cash.  The prescriptions were for Subutex;  The prescriptions were issued by out-of-state physicians; Approximately 96% of the prescriptions were paid for in cash; Multiple patients frequently presented prescriptions that had been written on the same day;  and the patients travelled long distances for even partial refills. The Pharmacy continued to fill prescriptions for Subutex in the face of obvious red flags of abuse and diversion through at least March 2019.   The DEA executed an administrative inspection warrant on November 28, 2018 and, following the inspection, the Pharmacy curtailed filling out-of-state Subutex prescriptions.  However, since that time the Pharmacy’s pharmacists have resumed filling prescriptions with the same unresolvable red flags.  The suspension of Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy’s Registration will continue until a final determination is reached.  This is a suspension and net yet a revocation, but none the less, during the period of the suspension, Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy may not fill any prescriptions for Schedule II through Schedule V narcotics.   

Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy will have an opportunity to show cause before the DEA at a location to be determined on October 15, 2019, as to why its Registration should not be revoked.  Within 30 days after the date the Pharmacy received its Order to Show Cause and Immediate Suspension of Registration, the Pharmacy may file a written request for a hearing or file a waiver of hearing with a written statement regarding its perspective on the matters of fact and law involved in the Order.  If the pharmacy fails to request a hearing or fails to file a waiver, the Pharmacy shall be deemed to have waived its right to a hearing and a final order may be issued.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A man from South Charleston, West Virginia, pled guilty to a federal drug trafficking offense today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Willie James Coleman, 55, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack,” before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.  Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“As I’ve said, crack is back,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Fentanyl dealers, heroin dealers, meth dealers, crack dealers. We prosecute all drug dealers.  We’re tough on all drug dealers.”

Police investigators used a confidential informant to accomplish three undercover purchases of cocaine base from Coleman on December 17, 2018; January 9, 2019; and January 18, 2019.  On January 31, 2019, Coleman was driving south on Interstate 77 in Jackson County, West Virginia, returning to his house in South Charleston after purchasing approximately four ounces of cocaine from his supplier in Cleveland, Ohio.  Investigators stopped Coleman’s vehicle after he almost struck another vehicle on the interstate.  Coleman’s passenger gave up the cocaine to investigators.

Investigators then executed a search warrant at Coleman’s house and recovered a stash of several grams of cocaine base in a safe and items used for manufacturing cocaine base out of cocaine powder.  Investigators also found a gun under a pillow on Coleman’s bed.

Coleman faces up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 20, 2019.  Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman is handling the prosecution.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Raleigh County couple were sentenced today to prison for their roles in federal drug and gun charges, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Billy Joe Lesher, 40, of Beckley, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine.  Kimberly York, 33, also from Beckley, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.   The drug trafficking crime involved the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.   Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Beckley Police Department, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). 

“Meth dealers and guns. Different names, but the result is the same – lengthy federal prison sentences,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. 

Lesher previously admitted that on October 24, 2018, members of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, and ATF executed a search warrant at his residence in Beckley, West Virginia.  During the search, officers found approximately seven ounces methamphetamine that defendant admitted he possessed with the intent to distribute.  Lesher also admitted that he possessed methamphetamine on March 10, 2018.  On this date, Lesher admitted that he was the subject of a traffic stop in Beckley.  After he was stopped, officers found approximately 38 grams of methamphetamine, a set of digital scales, two firearms, and almost $12,000 in cash in his car.  After the traffic stop, officers also searched defendant’s residence and found approximately 33 ounces, or about two pounds, of methamphetamine.  Lesher admitted that he intended to distribute this methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia.  Further, as part of his plea, Lesher also admitted to distributing quantities of heroin on two different dates. 

York previously admitted that on March 10, 2018, she was a passenger in a car driven by her companion and co-defendant, Billy Lesher.  The car was stopped by police near Robert C. Byrd Drive in Beckley for speeding. During the traffic stop, officers found approximately 38 grams of methamphetamine, a set of digital scales, guns, and almost $12,000 in cash in the car.  A Taurus .357 revolver was found in York’s purse along with a small amount of heroin.  York admitted that she knew the methamphetamine found in the car was possessed with the intent to distribute it in and around Raleigh County.  She also admitted that she possessed the firearm as protection for both her and Lesher as they engaged in drug trafficking activity.    

Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecutions. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentences.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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 Hurricane man pled guilty to a federal firearm offense today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Johnny Ray Thacker, 63, pled guilty to carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.  Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Charleston Police Department, the Dunbar Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“Drugs and guns by a two-time felon,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Drug trafficking is a violent business. Our law enforcement partners are placed in harm’s way every single day to get violent drug dealers off the streets and behind bars. There may be nothing more uncertain and, frankly, scary, than walking up to the side of a vehicle and not knowing what may be pointed back at you.  A felon in possession of a firearm is against the law and we will prosecute each and every time we find a felon with a gun.”

On July 3, 2018, a Charleston Police Officer stopped Thacker for speeding 24 miles per hour over the speed limit on Sissonville Drive.  Thacker told the officer he had a gun on the passenger seat, which the officer temporarily secured for their safety.  Thacker was a two-time felon, whose rights to possess a firearm had not been restored.  While retrieving Thacker’s gun, the officer spotted marijuana scattered on it.  Officers then searched Thacker’s vehicle and recovered several grams of methamphetamine and heroin, baggies for drug packaging, and a scale.

On September 3, 2018, police officers were called to Dunbar Memorial Park regarding suspected drug trafficking out of a lime green colored vehicle.  Officers spotted Thacker parked in a lime green car.  After a specially-trained police dog detected the odor of drugs coming from Thacker’s car, police searched it and found approximately 4.5 grams of methamphetamine, baggies, a scale, a baggie of powdered sugar for cutting drugs, and a ledger documenting drug debts and sales.  Thacker claimed the drugs.

Thacker faces a mandatory minimum five years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 7, 2019.  Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman is handling the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Mike Stuart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, joined by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will hold a press conference on Thursday, August 8, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. to announce an important development.

Where: Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse - 4th floor (U.S. Attorney’s Office)

            300 Virginia Street East

            Charleston, WV 25301

When:  Thursday, August 8, 2019 @ 9:30 a.m.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A woman from Chesapeake was sentenced to 8 months in prison, followed by 9 to 12 months of in-patient drug treatment, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Ashley Nichole Rhodes, 24, previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“We’re tough on drug dealers.  But we also understand that incarceration presents a critical opportunity for people with substance use disorder to get treatment,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Rhodes will get much drug treatment while serving her federal prison sentence and continue in-patient treatment upon her release.”

As established by public court filings and hearings, on August 16, 2018, a man reported to Kanawha County deputies that his house in Rand, West Virginia, had been burglarized.  The burglars stole firearms, digital cameras, vehicle titles, $1,000 in savings bonds, and various other personal items.  

Later that day, a Kanawha County deputy found some of the stolen items in a backpack outside of an empty, abandoned house on Church Drive, less than two blocks from the victim’s house.  The deputy entered another dilapidated, abandoned house nearby, which was open.  After announcing his presence, the deputy found Mason Laviro Scragg lying on a mattress.  A stolen 12 gauge shotgun was protruding from under the mattress directly beneath Scragg.  Many other stolen items were strewn throughout the house, including more stolen firearms on top of the exposed ceiling rafters.

The deputy also found Rhodes hiding in a bedroom closet.  Rhodes was carrying close to five grams of methamphetamine in her purse at the time.

Scragg was previously sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for possessing the stolen firearms.  Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentences.  The cases against Scragg and Rhodes were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. -- United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a California man was sentenced in federal court on his conviction for being a felon in possession of firearms.  Tiero Wash, 23, was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison.   Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Mercer County Home Confinement Office, and the Bluefield City Police Department.

It was previously established at the plea hearing that Wash illegally possessed firearms on two separate dates while on home confinement in Mercer County on unrelated state charges.   On December 5, 2017, Mercer County Home Confinement Officers and Bluefield City Police Officers searched Wash’s residence as a condition of his home confinement.  During the search, officers located three different firearms.  On January 1, 2018, officers again searched Wash’s residence as a condition of his home confinement.  During the second search, officers located another firearm.  Wash was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because he was previously convicted of the felony offense of Transporting Marijuana in the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento in 2017.

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

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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 Columbus, Ohio, woman pled guilty to a federal drug trafficking offense today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Brandy Yvette Hodge, also known as “Jazz” or “Jazmine,” 27, pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.  Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jackson County Sherriff’s Office.

“Going to prison for committing crimes for a boyfriend is not too smart,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “The drug mules and distributors from places outside West Virginia are being prosecuted as quickly as we can process the cases and, in every instance, I push for the longest sentence permissible under the law.”

Based on information presented in public court records and hearings, Hodge began trafficking methamphetamine and heroin from Columbus to Jackson County, West Virginia, around January of this year, supplying multiple drug dealers.  Police investigators subsequently arranged and executed six undercover buys of ounces of methamphetamine from Hodge on February 21, February 26, March 1, March 4, March 7, and March 13.  Hodge admitted to selling at least around 40 ounces of methamphetamine in her plea agreement. Based on recorded jail calls and other evidence, investigators believe Hodge’s boyfriend was directing Hodge’s drug trafficking while he was incarcerated in Ohio.

Hodge faces up to 40 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on September 16, 2019.  Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman is handling the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Charleston man was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for distributing a mixture of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Christopher Tyler, 27, previously admitted that on August 29, 2018, he exchanged text messages with a female in Charleston and agreed to sell her a substance they both believed to be heroin. The female came to Tyler’s house on Glover Street in Charleston to pick up the substance and gave Tyler money. Tyler and the female continued to text that evening into the early morning hours. The next morning when Tyler called the female’s phone, he was informed she had died. Toxicology testing done by the West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that the substance Tyler sold to the female was a mixture of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and acetyl fentanyl, a schedule I controlled substance.

“Today, in a tragic case of the overdose death of a beautiful girl with a promising future, the United States sought and was granted an upward departure from the sentencing guidelines,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “This office and this United States Attorney will seek upward departures from the sentencing guidelines in every possible case where it’s warranted to ensure that drug dealers spend every possible day that we can get them behind bars.  When I met with the mom and dad of this beautiful young girl, it broke my heart to hear, to see and to feel their pain.  It’s a pain that will never go away and no time will ever numb.  All I can do as a United States Attorney is to fight for justice for every mom and dad in a similar circumstance.”

The United States moved the Court to depart upwards in Tyler’s sentence because of the female’s death. After hearing the testimony of witnesses and receiving evidence, including text messages from Tyler warning the female about the dangerousness of the drugs and instructing her on how to use it safely, as well as the testimony from a medical toxicologist on the cause of death, the Court found an upward departure to be appropriate.  Senior United States District Court Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence.

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base or “crack,” announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

“Crack is back,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Sadly, crack is making a comeback. We aren’t going to tolerate another crack crisis like the 90s. We prosecute crack dealers just like we do any other drug dealer and we try to lock them up for as long as possible.” 

Samuel Crawford, 40, previously admitted that on December 4, 2016, officers with the Huntington Police Department conducted a search warrant at Crawford’s residence at 204 West 6th Avenue in Huntington.  Officers seized approximately 12 grams of crack cocaine.  Crawford admitted he intended to sell the cocaine for money. 

The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute oxycodone, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Anthony Saunders, 45, previously admitted that on April 28, 2018, officers with the Huntington Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the 1000 block of 28th Street in Huntington.  Officers located approximately 562 oxycodone pills hidden under the carpet of the driver’s side of the vehicle.     

“562 oxycodone pills,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Pills remain a serious problem.  Diverting prescription opioids remains a serious problem in our communities and if we catch those violating the law, we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A Huntington man, Juan Isom, 55, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

Isom previously admitted that on July 13, 2018, Troopers with the West Virginia State Police Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West executed a search warrant at his residence.  Troopers located a Taurus .38 caliber revolver on the shelf of Isom’s nightstand.  Isom was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law because of a 2006 felony drug conviction in Gaston County, North Carolina.

The Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West conducted the investigation.  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 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 former postal employee who helped deliver marijuana which was mailed from California to Huntington over a period of several years pled guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Chris Crookshanks, 43, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute marijuana in federal court in Huntington.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the West Virginia State Police – Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.

“Crookshanks was a letter carrier turned drug dealer,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “He used his position with the U.S. Postal Service to participate in and further a scheme to distribute marijuana – a complete betrayal of the public trust.”

Between 2013 and March of 2018, Crookshanks conspired with James Waylon Molinaro and others to distribute marijuana in the Huntington area. During the conspiracy, Molinaro acquired marijuana in California and arranged for it to be shipped through the United States mail from California to Huntington.  Once the parcels containing marijuana arrived in Huntington, Molinaro paid multiple postal employees, including Crookshanks who was a letter carrier with the postal service, to deliver the parcels on their assigned delivery routes or to meet Molinaro at other locations to provide the parcels to him.  Crookshanks admitted that he was responsible for the delivery of up to 60 kilograms of marijuana during his participation in the conspiracy. 

Molinaro pled guilty on August 1, 2019, to possession with intent to distribute marijuana based on his involvement in the conspiracy.  Molinaro also pled guilty to prohibited possession of a firearm by a convicted felon stemming from an unrelated investigation and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2019. 

Crookshanks faces up to 5 years in federal prison when he is sentenced, also on November 4, 2019.

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.  The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Dunbar man was sentenced today after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Kenneth Stover, 43, was sentenced to 34 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

On August 31, 2017 detectives from MDENT searched Stover’s 18th Street residence in Dunbar as a result of citizen complaints of drug activity.  The officers seized two firearms hidden underneath the comforter in Stover’s bedroom.  Stover was prohibited from possessing the firearms due to a 2004 felony conviction in Putnam County of conspiracy to operate a clandestine drug laboratory.

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

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.

Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart 
 

 
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Charleston man, Dana Stevenson, 28, plead guilty today for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

On August 14, 2017, Charleston Police Department officers were searching for a suspect that was seen driving a stolen vehicle.  Officers saw Stevenson walking by the Kanawha River.  As officers approached, Stevenson threw a firearm into the river.  The Charleston Police Department Dive Team later recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol from the river.  Stevenson was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law because of a 2014 felony malicious wounding conviction in Kanawha County, West Virginia.

Stevenson faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 4, 2019.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation.  United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor 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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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A California man was sentenced today to 10 months for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Gerardo Delgadillo, 22, previously admitted that on October 17, 2018, he had flown to Tri-State Airport in Kenova, West Virginia from California.  He admitted to possessing approximately 30 pounds of marijuana in his suitcase.  He admitted he intended to sell the marijuana. 

“Thirty pounds of pot in a suitcase on a plane,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Marijuana is and remains illegal.  We actively prosecute marijuana distribution regardless of whether it’s brought into West Virginia by plane, train, bus, boat, car, or UFO.”

The Violent Crime Drug Task Force West conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Detroit, Michigan man who possessed a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl for distribution in Cross Lanes, West Virginia was sentenced to 33 months in prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).  John Delaney Wilson, 36, previously plead guilty to possessing with intent to distribute heroin.

“Five felony drug convictions. Sadly, none of the previous four convictions taught the defendant to stop selling drugs,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We need to take note of those that repeatedly offend and ensure their opportunities to re-offend are extremely limited.  The Detroit Express from Detroit to West Virginia is being shut down one Detroit drug dealer at a time.”

On November 27. 2018, MDENT detectives executed a search warrant on an apartment in Cross Lanes they believed was being utilized to distribute heroin. Upon entering the residence, a detective observed Wilson running to the bathroom of the apartment and attempting to flush suspected narcotics down the toilet. A detective recovered the item Wilson attempted to flush and testing by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Lab confirmed the substance to be heroin containing fentanyl.  Detectives had conducted a controlled buy of heroin earlier that day from another individual seen entering the apartment in Cross Lanes and recovered the recorded buy money in Wilson’s pants pockets during the execution of the search warrant.

The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin. While imposing the sentence, the Court noted that Wilson had no connections to West Virginia and came to the area just to sale drugs. The Court further noted that this conviction was Wilson’s fifth felony drug conviction.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Daniel Roy Mace, 37, of Parkersburg, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for child pornography and witness tampering charges. Mace was previously convicted by a federal jury on 15 felony charges: 12 counts of receipt of child pornography on dates between June 24 and August 3, 2016; one count of distribution of child pornography; one count possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors; and one count of witness tampering. He will also be placed on supervised release for a term of 15 years following his release from prison, and will be required to register as a sex offender.

“We’re in the business of protecting our children,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Predators like Mace belong behind bars.  I applaud the hard work of  law enforcement and my prosecutors in this case.”

On August 1, 2016, law enforcement with the WVSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began a proactive investigation into local distributors of child pornography. After identifying a potential target in the Parkersburg area, a detective downloaded eight videos of child pornography from a user located in Parkersburg over a peer-to-peer file sharing network. On August 4, 2016, a search warrant was executed at the residence from which the child pornography was being shared. Law enforcement discovered Mace’s laptop in his bedroom, actively downloading child pornography from the same file-sharing services where law enforcement had downloaded the eight videos of child pornography. Upon examining Mace’s computer, law enforcement discovered over 80 videos of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Among the videos were all eight videos of child pornography that law enforcement had downloaded.

After Mace was arrested on a federal indictment charging him with numerous child pornography offenses, Mace began attempting to persuade a witness to provide a false alibi for him during testimony before a federal grand jury in January 2019.  The jail calls between Mace and the witness were recorded.

The West Virginia State Police, the Parkersburg Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crime Against Children (VCAC) Task Force conducted the investigation.  Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. handed down the sentence.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Alex Hamner 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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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a Fayette County man was sentenced in federal court on his conviction for conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, more than 50 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine, and a quantity of oxycodone.  Eric Coleman, 21, of Scarbro, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.  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, 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. 

“Every dad should be a good role model to their kid,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Sadly, this new felon’s dad wasn’t a role model at all, but rather a drug dealer.   Now this 21-year-old is a felon with a two year prison sentence and tough prospects for the future.  It’s a terrible tale and it happens too often. But the lack of a role model and a tough childhood is no excuse for criminal behavior.  If you break the law, I’m going to prosecute you regardless of how sad your tale is or how tough your childhood was.”

At an earlier hearing, it was established that during the time period between October 2017, and July 31, 2018, Coleman assisted his father and other members of a drug trafficking organization in distributing oxycodone, heroin, and methamphetamine.  Coleman previously admitted to law enforcement that he was assisting his father in distributing quantities of oxycodone in Fayette County.  It was further established that during this time period, Coleman also distributed over 100 grams of heroin, and more than 50 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine.  Most of the distributions of controlled substances occurred at the Coleman’s residence in Scarbro.  The prosecution of Coleman culminated from a joint investigation conducted by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies known as Mountaineer Highway.       

Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Andrew J. Tessman handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Chapmanville man was sentenced after pleading guilty to drug and firearm offenses, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Courtney Edward Dalton, 39, was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  The case was investigated by the U.S. 119 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“Dealing meth, carrying a gun,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “It’s a sure way to end up in federal prison.”

On March 13, 2018, as part of an ongoing drug investigation, police stopped Dalton as he was driving on WV Route 10 in Harts, Lincoln County, West Virginia.  Upon searching the vehicle, police found approximately 1.5 ounces of methamphetamine, marijuana, scales, and a loaded Taurus 9mm pistol.  Dalton admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and that he carried the pistol in order to protect himself from being robbed of his drugs. 

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

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Steven Ferguson, 40, of Wayne County, was sentenced today to nine months in prison for being a prohibited person while possessing ammunition, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

“If you want to own a firearm, you need to know the rules,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “If you’re prohibited, you’re prohibited from firearms and ammo. It’s pretty simple. And if we catch you in violation of the law, we’re going to prosecute you.”

On February 2, 2018, a Huntington Police Officer on patrol observed a black Dodge truck stuck in the mud in Rotary Park in Huntington.  The officer observed two occupants in the vehicle.  After observing and securing a large machete and a hunting knife, Ferguson told the officer a bag contained ammunition.  Ferguson was prohibited from possessing the ammunition under federal law because of a 2012 misdemeanor domestic battery 2nd offense conviction in Cabell County Magistrate Court.

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

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A convicted felon from Montgomery, West Virginia, who was caught in possession of a firearm was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  Timothy Gibbs II, 29, previously entered a guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the South Charleston Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

On March 13, 2018, officers responded to a call regarding a man who had been shot in the back.  After a thorough investigation, officers were able to determine that the shooter was Timothy Gibbs II.  Gibbs had previously been convicted of forgery in Kanawha County, West Virginia, and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.    

Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner and former Assistant United States Attorney Matt Davis handled the prosecution.  Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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. -- United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a Kanawha County woman pled guilty to a federal drug charge in Charleston.  Stephanie Lawhorn, 39, from Belle, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.

“121 grams of meth. 14 grams of fentanyl. 53 grams of marijuana. Over $9,000 in cash,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Lawhorn’s car was a rolling smorgasbord of powerful drugs  – an illegal smorgasbord – that we shut down.”

Lawhorn admitted that on September 27, 2018  law enforcement officers found her in possession of about 121 grams of methamphetamine, 14 grams of fentanyl, 53 grams of marijuana and $9,139 when they stopped the vehicle in which she was driving in Belle, West Virginia.  Lawhorn admitted to officers that she intended to sell the drugs.

She faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on October 23, 2019.

The case was investigated by the Belle Police Department and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Arthur is handling the prosecution.  United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided at the plea hearing. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man who helped organize a scheme to mail marijuana from California to Huntington over a period of several years pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  James Waylon Molinaro ,43, entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute marijuana in federal court in Huntington.  Molinaro also entered a guilty plea to prohibited possession of a firearm by a felon stemming from an unrelated investigation.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the West Virginia State Police – Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Barboursville Police Department.

“Marijuana is and remains illegal under federal law,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “This United States Attorney prosecutes all Federal lawbreakers including marijuana offenses and will continue to do so. The collaborative work of law enforcement agencies in this case got a violent drug dealer -- Molinaro – off the streets.”

On March 15, 2018, agents located two parcels at the Huntington Post Office which had been mailed from the State of California to Huntington which were found to contain marijuana.  Agents conducting surveillance observed a postal employee load the parcels into a postal delivery truck and drive to the Dollar General store located in the 800 block of Norway Avenue in Huntington.  At that location, the postal employee provided the parcels to Molinaro who arrived in a separate vehicle.  A trooper with the West Virginia State Police subsequently conducted a traffic stop of Molinaro’s vehicle in the 1000 block of 9th Street in Huntington and recovered the parcels.  The parcels were found to contain a total of 16 pounds of marijuana which Molinaro admitted that he intended to distribute.

As part of his plea, Molinaro further admitted that between 2012 and March of 2018, he conspired with multiple postal employees to ship marijuana from California to Huntington for distribution.  During the conspiracy, Molinaro acquired marijuana in California and arranged for it to be shipped through the United States mail to Huntington.  Once the parcels arrived in Huntington, Molinaro paid multiple postal employees to deliver the parcels on their assigned delivery routes or to meet Molinaro at other locations to provide the parcels to him.  Molinaro admitted that he was responsible for the shipment and distribution up to 400 kilograms of marijuana during the conspiracy. 

Molinaro also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on July 29, 2018.  On that date, Molinaro was at a night club on Route 60 in Barboursville when he was asked to leave after a club employee observed him possessing a firearm.  Molinaro exited the club, fired multiple shots in the club’s parking lot, briefly left the scene, and then returned.  A Barboursville police officer responding to a call for assistance at the club subsequently located Molinaro in possession of .38 caliber revolver.  Molinaro was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on multiple prior felony convictions for distribution of cocaine and possession of cannabis for sale. 

Molinaro faces up to 15 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 4, 2019.

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.  The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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 who was arrested after a drug investigation pled guilty to federal drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  David Bond, 38, entered guilty pleas to two counts of distribution of heroin and one count of distribution of fentanyl.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.  

“Drug overdoses skyrocketed in Huntington because of heroin and fentanyl,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Together with our law enforcement partners we have focused our strategic  enforcement and prosecution efforts on the drug traffickers responsible for spreading these dangerous and powerful drugs throughout our communities.  They must be held accountable.”

Bond admitted that on three separate occasions between February 7, 2018, and February 20, 2018,  he sold heroin and what he believed to be heroin, but in fact turned out to be fentanyl, to a confidential informant working with the DEA/HIDTA Task Force.  The drugs sold on these dates were tested by the DEA Lab and confirmed to be heroin and fentanyl. 

Bond now faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 4, 2019. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Monica D. Coleman are handling the prosecution.  United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing. 

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 pled guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. George Gordon, Jr., 46, entered a guilty plea to an indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

“Gordon had 67 grams of fentanyl that he planned to distribute,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.   “If law enforcement had not intervened before he could do so, tens of thousands of lives could have been lost. Proud of my team for stopping this before he could wreak havoc, pain and death.” 

On December 19, 2018, officers with the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant at Gordon’s residence at 416 30th Street in Huntington.  Officers recovered 67 grams of fentanyl from a jar in the kitchen.

Gordon faces between five and forty years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 4, 2019.

The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.   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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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A 68-year-old Cabell County was sentenced after pleading guilty to possession of over 150 images of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Lanny Neece, of Huntington, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.  After Neece is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for five years, and will also be required to register as a sex offender.

“Our children are a priority and need protected from predators like this,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Those who sexually exploit our children should know this – we’re coming for you.” 

Neece admitted that on November 9, 2016, he possessed images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexual acts.  The collection of child pornography images was contained on a computer that Neece used in Huntington, West Virginia. 

The Cleveland Resident Agency Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald and First Assistant Lisa G. Johnston handled the prosecution.

This case is being brought as part of U.S. Attorney Stuart’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.  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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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. -- United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a Ronceverte man pled guilty to a federal drug charge in Bluefield.  James Broyles, 36, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and hydromorphone.

“Drug dealers are not welcome here,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Our families don’t want them.  Our communities don’t want them.  And our children need protected from them. We are prosecuting at record numbers and we will stay on our hurried pace until these community fiends stop, leave or are put behind bars.”

Broyles admitted that on September 23, 2017 law enforcement officers found him in possession of about 25 grams of methamphetamine and 31 hydromorphone pills when they stopped the vehicle in which he was riding in Bluefield.  Broyles admitted to officers that he intended to sell the drugs.  He faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 25, 2019. 

The case was investigated by the Bluefield Police Department and the Southern West Virginia Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney John File is handling the prosecution.  Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided at the plea hearing. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Stephanie Barnett, 36, of Kanawha County, entered a guilty plea in court today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.   

“Barnett brought over six pounds of meth from Cleveland back to Charleston for distribution – SIX POUNDS,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “When we shut down significant drug pipelines like this from out-of-state we protect our children and reduce the availability of these dangerous drugs in our communities.”

On February 6, 2019, Barnett’s vehicle was pulled over in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, by a Kanawha County Sheriff’s deputy.  Barnett initially lied to the deputy about her name and age, and the deputy also smelled burnt marijuana inside the car.  The deputy retrieved his K-9 partner, who also indicated that there were narcotics inside the car.  Inside the console of the car, officers found a small baggie of methamphetamine.  When the officers opened the trunk, they found a large, plastic bag that contained three large bricks of methamphetamine.  Each brick weighed approximately two pounds.  The methamphetamine was sent to the DEA Mid-Atlantic Lab where it tested as being over 93% pure methamphetamine.  Barnett had traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, where she received over six pounds of methamphetamine.  She had intended to deliver the methamphetamine to local dealers in Charleston.     

Barnett faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.  Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner handled the prosecution.  Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. will impose sentencing on October 30, 2019.   

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CHARLESTON, W.VA.– United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that a Detroit, Michigan man pled guilty to an indictment charging him with federal drug crimes.  Edward King, 29, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.  The case was investigated by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department.  

“Since the opioid epidemic began, Detroit drug dealers have wreaked havoc and destruction in West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “The target that’s been on the backs of our citizens is now on the backs of the drug dealers. We’re focused in. Taking them down.  And holding them accountable.”

During the plea hearing, King admitted that in April 2015 he conspired with another person to distribute oxycodone.  He further admitted that he traveled to Charleston from Detroit on April 7, 2015 and that he possessed 115 30 milligram oxycodone pills which he intended to distribute in the Charleston area.  

King faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on October 31, 2019. 

Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders handled the prosecution.  Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the plea hearing.  

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Virginia man pled guilty today to a child pornography offense, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Conner Ray Blevins, of Vinton, Virginia, entered his guilty plea to two counts of production of child pornography.

“Heinous crime,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “There are far too many individuals like Blevins on social media with the intent of sexually exploiting children. We will prosecute every one we find and lock them up for as long as possible.”

Blevins admitted that on October 5, 2018, he traveled from his residence in Virginia to West Virginia, where he picked up two minors under the age of 12 with whom he had been communicating with over Facebook. Blevins took the minors to a hotel in Putnam County where he proceeded to record a video depicting himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with one of the minors. Blevins also admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the other minor as well.

Blevins faces at least 15 and up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on October 28, 2019.  Upon his release from prison, he will be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The investigation was conducted by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Mason County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the Department of Homeland—Security Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

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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