Southern District of West Virginia

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Physician’s assistant and former prison employee Scotty Rose was sentenced today to two years in federal prison for witness tampering, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. A federal jury convicted Rose after a two day jury trial in May of 2015.  

Rose, 42, of Beaver, worked in the Federal Correctional Institution in Beckley as a physician’s assistant. On February 6, 2013, Rose told a prisoner that another inmate was wearing a recording device and working for the FBI as an informant. The informant identified by Rose was, in fact, working with the FBI on a large scale methamphetamine trafficking investigation and wearing a recording device as part of that investigation. After Rose revealed the identity of the FBI informant, this news quickly spread throughout the correctional facility. As a result, the FBI informant was placed at great risk of retaliation by other prisoners. The informant was subsequently moved from the prison for his own safety, and the methamphetamine trafficking investigation was abruptly terminated. The FBI investigated the leak of the information and determined that Scotty Rose was the source of the leak. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, assisted by investigators from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Timothy D. Boggess were responsible for the prosecution. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger sentenced the defendant and presided over the trial.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The former mayor of Pratt was sentenced today to three years of probation for a federal drug crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Gary Fields, 68, previously pleaded guilty to distribution of oxycodone in September of 2015.

Fields admitted that on April 23, 2015, he sold six 15 mg oxycodone pills to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place at the defendant’s residence in Pratt.

The investigation was conducted by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston. 

This prosecution is part of an ongoing effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Derrick Lamb, 24, entered his guilty plea in federal court to the gun crime.

Lamb admitted that on April 13, 2015, he was in possession of a .38 caliber revolver. Lamb is prohibited from possessing any firearm because of a 2012 felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Lamb faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on April 21, 2016.

The investigation was conducted by the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Frail is in charge of the prosecution. The hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit heroin dealer pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Lawrence Watson, 21, entered his guilty plea in federal court to distribution of heroin.

Watson admitted that on June 12, 2014, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place at a residence on Elaine Drive in Rand. After the drug deal, officers executed a search warrant on the residence and found Watson in the house. During the search, officers discovered additional heroin and recovered the money used in the controlled drug purchase from Watson’s pocket.

Watson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on April 25, 2016.

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Frail is in charge of the prosecution. The defendant entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two defendants were prosecuted today in federal court for drug crimes involving pain pills, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto.

Karen Sue Fields, 45, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, was sentenced to three years and a month in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam. Fields previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug crime in September of 2015. On July 6, 2014, a motorist flagged down an officer with the Huntington Police Department on 5th Street in Huntington. The motorist alerted the officer to another vehicle driving erratically on 5th Street. The officer located the vehicle, operated by Fields, and conducted a traffic stop after Fields made several abrupt turns in an attempt to evade the officer. During the course of the stop, the officer observed multiple bags of pills in the floorboard of the vehicle. After conducting a search, the officer located over 800 oxycodone tablets and over 50 alprazolam tablets. Fields admitted she had purchased the pills for $17,500 and was on her way back to Kentucky to deliver the pills to another individual.

Derrick Bernard Pritchett, 32, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to illegally selling prescription pills. On August 10, 2015, a confidential informant working with the DEA Task Force contacted Pritchett to arrange a drug deal. Pritchett met the informant on the 1200 block of Jackson Avenue in Huntington and sold the informant nine 30 mg oxycodone pills and one 2 mg alprazolam pill. Pritchett faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on April 25, 2016.

The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force and Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation of Fields. The investigation of Pritchett was conducted by the DEA Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is in charge of the prosecutions. The hearings were held before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

These cases are part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty today to possessing over 600 images and videos of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Charles Tom Davisson, II, 55, entered his guilty plea in federal court to the child pornography crime.

Davisson admitted that on January 22, 2015, he possessed images and videos of prepubescent minors engaged in sexual acts. The images and videos were contained on his personal computer, as well as thumb drives located at his residence in Parkersburg. The investigation revealed that Davisson was using peer-to-peer file sharing programs to download, receive, and distribute child pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for April 19, 2016, in Charleston.

The West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Wood County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution. The defendant entered his plea before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

This case is being brought as part of an ongoing initiative by the United States Attorney’s Office to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto announced that a Williamson man was sentenced today in federal court in to two and a half years in prison for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Lance Leonard Ward, 25, previously pleaded guilty in September of 2015 to the federal gun crime.

Ward admitted that on April 21, 2015, he possessed an Armscor Firestorm FSR .38 caliber revolver. In 2011, Ward was convicted in Mingo County Magistrate Court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. As a result of that conviction, he was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law. 

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Williamson Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Two defendants were sentenced today in federal court in Beckley, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto.

Patricia Alfieri, 55, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced to a year and a half for escaping from the Federal Prison Camp at Alderson. Alfieri previously pleaded guilty in August of 2015, admitting that she left the prison without authorization on June 18, 2015. Law enforcement apprehended her at a motel in Lewisburg on June 28, 2015. Her new sentence will run consecutively to the sentence of three years and five months she is serving for a conviction in federal court in the Northern District of New York for mail fraud and subscribing a false tax return.

Evelyn Sizemore, 32, of Lewisburg, was sentenced to five years of probation and 100 hours of community service for using a communication device to facilitate the distribution of heroin. Sizemore previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug crime in June of 2015. She admitted that on December 9, 2014, she used a telephone in Lewisburg to send a text message to a confidential informant to arrange a drug deal for heroin. Shortly after completing arrangements for the drug deal by text message, Sizemore sold heroin to the confidential informant. Sizemore further admitted that she sold heroin to the confidential informant on other occasions. 

The Alfieri case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the United States Marshals Service, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lewisburg Police Department. The Sizemore case was investigated by the Greenbrier Valley Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney John L. File is in charge of both prosecutions. The sentences were imposed by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.

The case against Sizemore was prosecuted as part of the Greenbrier Valley Heroin and Pill Initiative. This initiative is an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced today in federal court to four and a half years for possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Joshua Neal McVey, 32, previously pleaded guilty in October of 2015 to the federal drug crime.

On January 7, 2015, in conjunction with an investigation by the West Virginia State Police of McVey’s drug dealing in Wood County, drug task force officers executed a search warrant at McVey’s residence on Myrtle Road in Parkersburg. Among other items, police seized approximately 19 grams of heroin, 16 grams of methamphetamine, and 1,895 grams of marijuana, along with scales and packaging materials.

Other individuals prosecuted as part of this investigation include Brent J. Sidwell, who pleaded guilty in April of 2015 to conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana; Timothy Fields, who was sentenced to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana; David Naylor, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana; and Dustin Jarvis, who was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.

The investigation of this case resulted from ongoing cooperation between the West Virginia State Police; the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force; the Wood County Sheriff’s Department; the Washington County, Ohio, Major Crimes Task Force; and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence.

This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A South Charleston woman pleaded guilty today in federal court to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto.

Jonda Grandoni, 52, admitted that on October 12, 2012, she arranged to have a package containing methamphetamine shipped via FedEx to an individual who would then deliver the package to her for distribution. Law enforcement intercepted the package before it was delivered and found that it contained 11.5 grams of methamphetamine. Officers then set up a controlled delivery of the package to Grandoni, who accepted the package and was arrested. In addition to the methamphetamine recovered on October 12, 2012, Grandoni admitted that she was responsible for the distribution of over 520 grams of additional methamphetamine. 

Grandoni faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when she is sentenced on April 13, 2016.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is in charge of the prosecution. The hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Nitro woman was sentenced today in federal court to five years of probation and ordered to pay $131,581.40 in restitution for defrauding Social Security, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Linda Alford, 65, previously pleaded guilty to theft of government property in September of 2015.

Alford was receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration after her husband died in 1990. In 1997, Alford remarried, which should have ended her right to collect survivor benefits. However, Alford did not report her change in marital status to the Social Security Administration, and continued to receive Social Security benefits as though she had not remarried. From 1997 to 2014, Alford received the benefits and spent the money, knowing that she was not entitled to the payments. In total, she illegally collected over $130,000 in survivor benefits.

The United States Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today in federal court to a year and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. John Stanley Ford, 25, previously pleaded guilty to the federal gun crime in October of 2015.

Ford admitted that on February 26, 2014, he possessed a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol that he threw in the bushes when officers with the Charleston Police Department approached him. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory tested the firearm and found Ford’s DNA on the gun. Ford was prohibited under federal law from possessing any firearm because of a 2011 felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for wanton endangerment. 

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Two Mercer County men appeared in federal court today on drug charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto.

George F. Brooks Jr., 45, of Princeton, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for distribution of oxymorphone. Brooks previously pleaded guilty in June of 2015, and admitted that on December 3, 2014, he sold oxymorphone to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place on High Street in Princeton.

Keith Joseph Alfred, 42, of Bluefield, pleaded guilty to distribution of hydromorphone. Alfred admitted that on October 22, 2013, in Bluewell, he sold four hydromorphone pills to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on April 5, 2016.

The investigations of Brooks and Alfred were conducted by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney John File is handling the prosecutions. The hearings took place before Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber.

These cases were prosecuted as part of the Bluefield Pill Initiative, a collaborative, multi-agency regional law enforcement effort designed to halt prescription drug trafficking in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties. The Bluefield Pill Initiative is led by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, which includes the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation; the Mercer, McDowell and Wyoming County Sheriff’s Departments; and the Bluefield and Princeton Police Departments.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man was sentenced today in federal court to three years of probation for health care fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Joshua Petrie, 36, of Proctorville, Ohio, previously pleaded guilty to the federal crime in September of 2015.

In 2009 and 2010, Petrie admitted that he worked as a sales representative and fitter for several out-of-state companies that sold and distributed back and knee braces from a medical practice in West Virginia. Petrie created fraudulent documents falsely showing that he provided braces to patients. The falsified documents included a certification from a physician indicating that the physician had ordered the braces for individual Medicare patients. In order to further the scheme, Petrie used a copy of the physician’s signature instead of an original signature. The fraudulent documents also included a delivery ticket with a signature line for patients to acknowledge receipt of the braces. Petrie forged patients’ signatures to the delivery tickets to make it appear that patients had actually received the braces. Petrie was paid in part based on the amount of his sales and therefore received additional income for each sale that he falsified. The fraudulent paperwork was used to illegally bill Medicare for approximately $38,000.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and the West Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Bacaj and Meredith George Thomas are handling the prosecution. Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Three defendants pleaded guilty today in federal court to various heroin crimes, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto.

Eddie William Randall, 36, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Krishauna Deshay Brown, 37, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin. From December 2014 until their arrests in 2015, Randall, Brown and others conspired to distribute heroin that was transported from Detroit to the Huntington area.

Brown resided at 209 West 9th Avenue in Huntington, and she allowed Randall to store and distribute heroin from her residence. On February 26, 2015, officers with the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Brown’s residence and seized heroin, along with other paraphernalia used to sell heroin. Brown admitted that she possessed the heroin at her residence and intended to distribute it. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on April 11, 2016. 

On June 25, 2015, officers executed search warrants at 2736 Rear 4th Avenue and 1128 25th Street in Huntington. Officers utilized a confidential informant to make several controlled purchases of heroin from Randall in and around those residences leading up to the search. Officers located Randall inside the 4th Avenue residence and seized approximately 40 grams of heroin, a loaded 9mm pistol, and $13,030 in cash. During the search of the 25th Street residence, officers seized approximately 280 grams of heroin and a loaded .45 caliber pistol. Randall admitted that he possessed the heroin from both residences for distribution and that he possessed the pistols in an effort to protect himself from theft or robbery of heroin or cash. Randall faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 11, 2016. 

As the result of a separate drug investigation, Terrance Donte Hensley, 20, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin. Hensley admitted that on five occasions between June 26 and July 9, 2015, he distributed heroin at various locations in Hurricane and Huntington to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. Hensley faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 11, 2016. 

The investigation of Brown and Randall was conducted by the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force, the Huntington Police Department and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is in charge of the prosecutions of Brown and Randall. The investigation of Hensley was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team and the DEA Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution of Hensley. These plea hearings were held before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. 

These cases are part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution at McDowell pleaded guilty today to possessing a weapon in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Tyrell Saunders, 22, entered his guilty plea in federal court to possession of a weapon by an inmate at the institution. Saunders admitted that on May 11, 2015, he possessed a handcrafted metal weapon known as a “shank.” He faces up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 5, 2016.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney John File is handling the prosecution. The defendant entered his guilty plea before Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber.

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Charleston, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Richard Howard King II, 20, entered his guilty plea in federal court to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.

King admitted that on July 16, 2015, he was carrying a concealed handgun when he was approached by Charleston Police Department officers. After King informed the officers that he was armed, the officers removed a Glock Model 22, .40 caliber pistol from his waistband. King also admitted that he possessed four other firearms from July 5, 2013, through July 16, 2015, one of which was stolen. At the time he possessed each of these firearms, King admitted that he was a habitual, unlawful user of marijuana.

King faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on April 11, 2016.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is in charge of the prosecution. The defendant entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A South Charleston drug dealer was sentenced today in federal court to eight years in prison for five drug crimes, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Rahkeem Cheeks, 37, had previously pleaded guilty in August of 2015 to four counts of distributing heroin and one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute.

Cheeks admitted that on four occasions between June 2 and June 8, 2015, he sold heroin in Kanawha County to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. After the last controlled purchase, officers executed a search warrant on June 8, 2015, for a residence on Amanita Drive in South Charleston where Cheeks was staying. The officers arrested Cheeks, found him in possession of heroin, and located additional heroin in the residence, along with digital scales, empty plastic bags, and two handguns. Cheeks further admitted that he intended to distribute the heroin found by law enforcement during the search.

The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald handled the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence.

This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Two drug dealers pleaded guilty today in federal court to heroin charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto.

Keon Terrell Ross, 24, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Ross admitted that on October 20, 2015, he traveled from Detroit to Charleston with approximately a kilogram of heroin that he intended to distribute. Law enforcement found Ross with the heroin in his hotel room at the Best Western on Washington Street East in Charleston. Ross faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on April 7, 2016. 

Antoine Joshua Broner, 37, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin. Broner admitted that on August 4, 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. Following the drug deal, officers seized $615 from Broner’s house in Charleston, $75 of which was pre-recorded buy money used in the controlled purchase with the confidential informant. Broner further admitted to possessing additional heroin at his residence that he intended to distribute. Broner faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on April 4, 2016. 

The investigation of Ross was conducted by the Charleston Police Department and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). The investigation of Broner was conducted by MDENT. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of these prosecutions. The defendants entered their guilty pleas before United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. - Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto announced today that Jose Jorge Abbud Gordinho, M.D., of Beckley, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally prescribing the pain medication hydrocodone. Dr. Gordinho also pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare and Medicaid by submitting materially false claims for medical services that were not medically necessary.

Dr. Gordinho admitted that he routinely prescribed pain pills for illegitimate purposes and in a manner that was outside the bounds of medical practice. Dr. Gordinho further admitted that he defrauded Medicare and Medicaid when he sought and received payment for office visits, services, and prescriptons related to his illegal prescribing practices.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger set Dr. Gordinho’s sentencing for April 26, 2016, in Beckley. Dr. Gordinho faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a $1,250,000 fine, and restitution to Medicare and Medicaid. Additionally, as part of the plea agreement, he will permanently surrender his DEA Certificate of Registration, ensuring that he will no longer be permitted to prescribe controlled substances.

This case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto announced that a Beckley man was sentenced today in federal court to a year and three months in prison for a drug crime.

Michael Leigh Benko, 33, previously pleaded guilty in July of 2015 to using a telephone to facilitate a drug deal. Benko admitted that on January 13, 2015, he used a cell phone to coordinate the sale of oxycodone to a confidential informant working with law enforcement authorities. 

The case was investigated by the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The defendant was sentenced by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. 

This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto announced that a Beckley felon was sentenced today in federal court to eight years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kevin Terrell, 30, previously pleaded guilty in July of 2015 to the federal gun charge.

On January 13, 2015, Terrell admitted that he was in possession of an assault rifle. Law enforcement seized the ArmaLite Model M-15 5.56 mm rifle at Terrell’s residence on Granville Avenue in Beckley. Terrell was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of his 2007 felony convictions in Raleigh County Circuit Court for unlawful wounding and felony destruction of property.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The defendant was sentenced by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs that target gun crime.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto announced that a Charleston man was sentenced in federal court to a year and three months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Travis Leonard Sumpter, 39, previously pleaded guilty to the federal gun charge in July of 2015. 

Sumpter admitted that on December 4, 2014, officers with the Charleston Police Department found Sumpter in possession of a loaded Cobra Enterprises .38 Special Derringer while he was in front of the Park Place Bar on Central Avenue in Charleston. Sumpter was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2007 felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for wanton endangerment involving a firearm.

The Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs that target gun crime.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Charleston men were sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, on drug charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto.

Gregory Woods, 38, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for using a communication device to facilitate cocaine distribution, as well as four years in federal prison for possessing marijuana for remuneration. The sentences for these federal drug charges are to be served concurrently. Woods admitted that on June 8, 2011, he arranged to sell a confidential informant an ounce of cocaine at his residence through telephone calls made with his cellular phone. After Woods sold the drugs, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence on Early Street in Charleston and recovered 13.9 grams of cocaine, 176 grams of marijuana, and a firearm. Woods further admitted that he possessed the marijuana located in his house for distribution.   

Levi Carter, 26, was sentenced to ten months in federal prison for distribution of heroin. Carter admitted that on April 21, 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place in the parking lot of the Embassy Suites hotel in Charleston. Carter also admitted to selling heroin to the confidential informant on several other occasions in April and May of 2015. 

Both of these cases were investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecution of both cases. The sentence for Woods was imposed by United States District Court Judge Thomas E. Johnston. The sentence for Carter was imposed by United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

These cases are part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia today announced that Carol A. Casto has taken office as Acting United States Attorney effective January 1, 2016. Casto succeeds R. Booth Goodwin II, who announced his resignation last week to return to his family’s law practice. Casto has served as First Assistant United States Attorney since 2010. From 1989 to 2010, she was an Assistant United States Attorney in the office’s criminal and civil divisions. Before joining the United States Attorney’s Office, Casto served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Kanawha County from 1983 to 1989. 

Casto is a West Virginia native and an honors graduate of West Virginia University and the West Virginia University College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the state of West Virginia, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Casto takes office by virtue of the federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, which provides for the temporary filling of offices that require presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.  

“It is my honor and privilege to serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia,” said Casto. “I stand on the shoulders of the exceptional and distinguished United States Attorneys before me, who made excellence in the pursuit of justice the standard for our practice. I have every confidence that with the talented, devoted and hardworking attorneys and staff in my office, we will continue the extraordinary work that the public deserves and has come to expect of us.”

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former West Virginia State University basketball player who sold heroin near a dormitory was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to two years in federal prison followed by six years of supervised release, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. Kendrick Leon Ward, 25, of Oak Park, Michigan, previously pleaded guilty in September of 2015 to distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of school property.

On November 8 and 11, 2013, Ward sold heroin to a confidential informant on West Virginia State University property near the Dawson Hall dormitory. On November 12, 2013, task force officers executed a search warrant at Ward’s dormitory room in Dawson Hall. Officers seized approximately 20 grams of heroin, 100 thirty mg oxycodone pills, 100 thirty mg tramadol pills, and $21,265 in cash, which included the bills used in the controlled heroin transactions with the confidential informant. 

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution. 

This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. - United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that he is stepping down from office effective at the end of the year and returning to private law practice. Goodwin has been a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s office since January 2001 and has served as the presidentially appointed head of the office since May 2010. As a federal prosecutor, Goodwin personally secured convictions in virtually every type of case that his office handles, many of them matters of regional and national significance.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia,” Goodwin said. “The unparalleled success of this office during my tenure is a tribute to and a result of the extraordinary dedication of the lawyers, staff and law enforcement personnel with whom I have been privileged to serve,” Goodwin continued. “Their commitment to the safety and security of this nation and West Virginia has been and will continue to be an inspiration.”

Upon becoming United States Attorney, Goodwin focused on tackling West Virginia’s prescription drug and heroin crisis, holding corporate criminals accountable for putting workers at risk and polluting our water sources, prosecuting corrupt public officials, helping communities rebuild from the ravages of drugs and violence, and protecting children and the elderly.

During Goodwin’s tenure, his office has prosecuted hundreds of pill and heroin dealers, shuttered pill mills, and convicted doctors and pharmacists who dishonored their professions by promoting the opiate abuse scourge. But Goodwin also recognized early on that we cannot simply arrest and prosecute our way out of the prescription drug crisis. Goodwin organized and co-hosted with Governor Tomblin West Virginia’s first Summit on Prescription Drug Abuse in February 2011. The Summit laid out a plan to tackle the crisis through not just law enforcement, but also education and effective drug monitoring and prescribing practices, along with the expansion of treatment and recovery options. Goodwin has also worked with other United States Attorneys on a regional and national level to address the opiate crisis. Goodwin also has advanced a number of other initiatives aimed at tackling opiate abuse and its effects, including the “Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion” or “L.E.A.D.” program; expansion of access to the overdose reversing drug Naloxone; the development and launch of “The Call WV” smartphone app and the “makethecallwv.com” website, both designed to connect people struggling with addiction to resources and assistance; and public service announcements designed to promote resources available to those struggling with addiction and to raise awareness of the issue.

Within days after Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine exploded on April 5, 2010, Goodwin launched a criminal investigation into the disaster. Drawing on the investigative resources of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Goodwin’s team conducted an investigation that resulted in the conviction of five individuals, including the security chief at UBB, a mine superintendent at UBB, the president of a Massey mining group, and the former Chairman and CEO of Massey Energy - the highest-ranking executive ever convicted of a workplace safety crime. The investigation also resulted in a $220 million agreement with the company that took over Massey Energy after the disaster. That agreement required the company to fund an unprecedented $48 million mine safety and health research trust, invest $90 million in upgrading safety across all its operations, pay off all of Massey’s more than $31 million in outstanding mine safety fines, and provide a minimum of $1.5 million in restitution for each of the victims of the UBB disaster.

Following the January 2014 release of MCHM into the Elk River in Charleston, which contaminated the drinking water of more than 300,000 West Virginians, Goodwin led an investigation of those responsible for the spill. That investigation led to criminal convictions of Freedom Industries and six of its officials, including former Freedom presidents Gary Southern and Dennis Farrell. The incident marks one of the largest episodes of drinking water contamination in American history, and the convictions are among most significant ever for contamination of the public water supply.

During his tenure as a federal prosecutor, Goodwin tackled corruption throughout southern West Virginia. He headed probes leading to a host of convictions of corrupt public and business officials, including major investigations in Logan, Lincoln and Mingo counties. In recognition of his work in the Logan County probe, Goodwin was honored with a United States Department of Justice Director’s Award.

Goodwin partnered with police and community members to launch successful drug market intervention initiatives in the Fairfield area of Huntington and on the west side of Charleston. The efforts of all involved resulted in a substantial decrease in crime and increase in community quality of life. For example, in Huntington, with the assistance of the West Virginia National Guard and the West Virginia Department of Highways, 59 dilapidated structures that provided havens for drug activity were demolished. And as a result of one of the office’s prosecutions, a neighborhood convenience store that was a magnet for criminal activity in the Fairfield neighborhood was also demolished. The property is now in the hands of the city of Huntington and was repurposed for the benefit of the community.

Goodwin has also worked hard to protect our most vulnerable. He and his office prosecuted dozens of criminals who exploited children and the elderly. For example, Goodwin prosecuted and convicted the “Target Child Molester,” an individual who traveled from his home near Louisville, Kentucky, to the Target store in South Charleston to sexually assault a little girl. This criminal was found guilty of possessing child pornography and crossing a state line with the intent to engage in a sex act with a person under 12 years of age. He was sentenced to serve 25 years in federal prison and the rest of his life on supervised release. The sentence of lifetime supervised release was among the first of its kind in the country.

Recognizing that preventing crime - especially in our most vulnerable populations - is just as important as prosecuting it, Goodwin has frequently spoken at senior centers and conferences throughout the state to warn seniors about avoiding scams and guarding against crimes that stem from the opiate epidemic.

The horrific murders at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012, were a national tragedy and an urgent call to action on the issue of school safety. After Sandy Hook, Goodwin organized a statewide Summit on West Virginia Safe Schools here in Charleston. Interest in the Summit was overwhelming, and Goodwin worked with participants to create an agenda for keeping our state’s schools safe. That agenda lays out 10 practical steps aimed at preventing and preparing for school violence. The agenda and more information can be found at www.wvsafeschools.org.

Even before Sandy Hook, Goodwin devoted time to visiting schools in his district to talk about bullying, Internet safety, and the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Joined by partners like U.S. Marshal John Foster, Adjutant General James Hoyer, and retired Charleston Police Lieutenant Chad Napier, Goodwin visited and presented at almost 40 schools.

Goodwin has also partnered with his colleague, U.S. Attorney Bill Ihlenfeld, to name four classes of Ambassadors for Justice, who are high school juniors from nearly every high school in West Virginia. These Ambassadors are exceptional young men and women who stand up to peer pressure and intervene if a classmate is making a destructive decision.

At the center of Goodwin’s efforts to make schools and students safer is the Handle with Care project. Under Handle with Care, police identify children who come into contact with a law enforcement operation - such as a domestic violence incident or drug raid - or who are themselves victims of abuse or neglect, and forward that information to the child’s school before the child arrives the next day. Armed with that information, the school can be ready to handle that child with care and intervene as necessary. This past March, Goodwin was joined by Governor Tomblin and Colonel Jay Smithers of the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) to announce the formation of the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice under the WVSP. Since then, Goodwin has worked with the Center to expand Handle With Care across the state. In cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Education’s Project Aware grant, mental health care for our most vulnerable kids is being expanded. The goal is to have on-site mental health care at every school implementing Handle With Care across the state. More information on the project is available at www.handlewithcarewv.org.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A man from Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty today to a federal methamphetamine charge, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Terry Cunningham, 32, entered his guilty plea in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to distribution of methamphetamine.

Cunningham admitted that on July 14, 2015, he shipped a package containing methamphetamine to an undercover Kanawha County Deputy Sheriff working with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. After the undercover officer picked up the package, Cunningham provided instructions for making payment for the shipment with MoneyGram. Cunningham went to pick up the MoneyGram payment at a Walmart in Los Angeles, and immediately texted the undercover officer that he had received payment. Agents conducting surveillance in Los Angeles also observed Cunningham collecting the payment, and arrested him shortly after the payment confirmation.

Cunningham faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Charleston on April 6, 2016.

The successful prosecution of Cunningham was the result of the collaborative investigative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department.

This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Brian Keith Dunnigan, 46, of Charleston, West Virginia, was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to eight years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine. Dunnigan had previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug charge in September of 2015. 

Dunnigan admitted that on April 8, 2015, he spoke with Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team officers and gave them permission to search the residence where he was staying at 924 Orchard Street in Charleston. Officers recovered over 100 grams of methamphetamine, over 50 grams of heroin, and over $2,500 in cash from the residence. Dunnigan admitted that the drugs and cash were his, and that for approximately two months he had been receiving heroin and methamphetamine from a source in Ohio and distributing the drugs in Kanawha County.

Dunnigan also admitted that on May 6, 2015, he was present in a house in Charleston where Charleston Police Department officers were executing a search warrant. On that day, officers found Dunnigan with a loaded Titan Tiger .38 caliber revolver. Dunnigan was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because he had previously been convicted of two felonies, conspiracy to distribute crack and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in federal court in the Southern District of West Virginia.

The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, the Charleston Police Department, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn handled the prosecution.

This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District. This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that two Mexican nationals were sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, for credit card fraud. Marco Carrillo, 22, and Luis Vazquez, 24, both of Sonora, Mexico, were each sentenced to eight months in federal prison. Carrillo and Vazquez previously pleaded guilty in September of 2015 to federal charges of conspiring to commit credit card fraud. 

Carrillo and Vazquez traveled to Charleston from Mexico to pick up a package at Federal Express (FedEx) that contained 100 fraudulent credit cards. They intended to use the fraudulent cards to buy electronic goods and gift cards. On May 1, 2015, FedEx intercepted the suspicious package containing the fraudulent credit cards and turned the package over to law enforcement before Carrillo and Vazquez picked it up.

On May 4, 2015, agents with the United States Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations arrested Carrillo and Vazquez when they arrived at FedEx to pick up the package. Carrillo and Vazquez were stopped by law enforcement before they could use any of the fraudulent credit cards.

The United States Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations handled the investigation, with assistance from the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Blaire L. Malkin is in charge of the prosecution.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Cross Lanes woman was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to three years and four months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine with her husband, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Sherri Little, 41, previously pleaded guilty in April of 2015 to the federal drug charge. Matthew Little, 38, the husband of Sherri Little, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine in May of 2015.

From early 2014 until December of that same year, Matthew Little admitted that he conspired to distribute methamphetamine with his wife, Sherri Little. Matthew Little further admitted that he and his wife would sell methamphetamine, either from their residence in Cross Lanes or at different locations throughout Cross Lanes. On September 9, 2014, Matthew Little told a confidential informant working with law enforcement to go to his home for a drug deal. Once the confidential informant arrived at the house, Sherri Little called her husband to confirm the details of the drug deal. After the conversation with her husband, Sherri Little sold methamphetamine to the confidential informant. Matthew Little is currently incarcerated, awaiting sentencing on his federal drug conspiracy charge.

The cases against Matthew and Sherri Little were investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team.

These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal heroin charge. Thomas Kerr Clements, 53, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to distributing heroin.

Clements admitted that on May 27, 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement authorities. The drug deal took place at the defendant’s residence, located in the Rand area of Charleston. 

Clements faces up to 20 years in federal prison a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on March 17, 2016, in federal court in Charleston.

The case against Clements was investigated by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff’s Tactical Operations Patrol Team. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecution.

This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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PRINCETON, W.Va. – Standing outside the Princeton Detachment of the West Virginia State Police today, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin, joined by West Virginia State Police Major Tim Bradley, and Mercer County Commissioner and Community Connections Executive Director Greg Puckett, announced a new partnership to expand access to naloxone.

The West Virginia State Police are working together with Community Connections, a Southern West Virginia non-profit, on a partnership that will provide training in the use of naloxone for overdose prevention to West Virginia State Troopers in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming Counties. Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, is a medication used by many first responders and law enforcement officers to reverse the effects of opioid overdose.

"This new partnership is a tremendous step forward in the fight against drug addiction in Southern West Virginia," stated U.S. Attorney Goodwin. "Addiction rates here are high, and because it is a rural area, it sometimes takes a long time for an ambulance to reach an overdose call. For the first time, the West Virginia State Police in this region will have naloxone with them while on duty, so when they respond to an overdose call, they can take life-saving action immediately, when every second counts."

The partnership is made possible through a Rural Opioid Overdose Reversal Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. The $100,000 grant will facilitate Project ReNew, a pilot program to expand access to naloxone for the West Virginia State Police in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming Counties. The pilot program will be administered by Community Connections, a Southern West Virginia non-profit focused on collaborative efforts to build strong communities and improve the lives of local families. Community Connections will train the Troopers in the three-county area on how to administer naloxone. The grant funding will also be used to purchase naloxone kits for the Troopers.

Earlier this year, Governor Tomblin signed legislation into law that permitted the prescription of naloxone for use by initial responders, such as law enforcement. This allowed for the broader use of naloxone as a powerful tool in the fight against addiction. Other resources include the state hotline at 1-844-HELP4WV (1-800-435-7498), and The Call WV app, which connects people with addiction treatment options based on the app user’s location, and is available for download on Apple and Android smartphones and at makethecallwv.com. A cooperative agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and the Huntington Police Department funded the creation of The Call WV app and the makethecallwv.com website by Syntech Creative, a Huntington business, as well as a series of public service announcements about the app and the website created by Trifecta Productions, another Huntington business.

“I want to thank Community Connections for administering this program,” said Goodwin. “Most importantly, I want to thank the West Virginia State Police for continuing to show leadership in confronting the opiate epidemic. We are hopeful that with the State Police on board, other local law enforcement agencies that are not yet training their personnel in the use of naloxone will soon partner in this effort.”

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin, joined by West Virginia State Police Major Tim Bradley and Mercer County Commissioner and Community Connections Executive Director Greg Puckett, will announce a new partnership to expand access to naloxone at a press conference at the Princeton Detachment of the West Virginia State Police on Wednesday, December 16, 2015, at noon.

Naloxone, a medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose and is commonly known as Narcan, has been successfully utilized by law enforcement and first responders to prevent drug overdose. U.S. Attorney Goodwin will introduce the new partnership between the West Virginia State Police and Community Connections that will provide overdose prevention training to West Virginia State Troopers in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming Counties.

WHO:

• United States Attorney Booth Goodwin
• West Virginia State Police Major Tim Bradley
• Mercer County Commissioner and Community Connections Executive Director Greg Puckett

WHAT:         

• Press conference to announce expansion of access to naloxone through a new partnership

WHERE:      

• WV State Police – Princeton Detachment
• 910 Oakvale Road
• Princeton, WV  24740

WHEN:         

• Wednesday, December 16, 2015, at noon.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men who participated in a heroin conspiracy between 2012 and 2015 were the latest defendants sentenced today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Sean L. Gist, 22, of Detroit, was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Paul A. Roberts, Jr., 22, of Huntington, was sentenced to five years of probation after previously pleading guilty to maintaining a residence for the distribution of heroin.  

From December of 2013 to January of 2015, Gist participated in a conspiracy, led by Kenneth E. Baxter, that transported heroin from Detroit to Huntington for distribution. Once the drugs reached Huntington, Gist provided heroin to multiple individuals for distribution. Gist also distributed heroin himself, arranged for the sale of heroin to a confidential informant on January 28, 2015, at Harris Riverfront Park in Huntington, and admitted that he possessed a firearm in connection with the conspiracy.

Roberts helped to secure one of the residences used in the conspiracy located at 403 Homestead Place in Huntington. From October of 2014 to December of 2014, Roberts, Coty E. Richardson, and others used the residence to store, package, and distribute heroin. On December 6, 2014, a United States Postal Inspector intercepted a package containing approximately 230 grams of heroin addressed to the residence. After agents delivered the package, they executed a search warrant, located Roberts in the residence, and seized heroin, equipment used to package and distribute heroin, more than $6,500 in cash, and four guns.

Several defendants have been convicted of federal drug charges as a result of the investigation, including Dustin S. Barton, who pleaded guilty in August of 2015 to distributing heroin, and Warren G. Howard, Jr., who pleaded guilty on December 7, 2015, to distributing heroin. This investigation has also resulted in prison sentences for additional defendants for their roles in the conspiracy, including Kenneth Baxter, who was sentenced to seven years and three months, Coty Richardson, who was sentenced to five years and ten months, Ramone L. Wells, who was sentenced to four years, and Pricilla Lee Dylan, who was sentenced to two years and nine months.

The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force, United States Postal Service, West Virginia State Police and Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.

This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two defendants pleaded guilty today to federal heroin charges, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Anthony Lamar Jordan Honeycutt, 35, of Charleston, West Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court in Huntington to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Leon Wilson, Jr., 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston to distributing heroin.

On December 16, 2014, drug task force officers working with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team stopped Honeycutt in downtown Charleston. Honeycutt was on his way to deliver heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. Officers found Honeycutt in possession of approximately 42 grams of heroin at the time of his arrest. Honeycutt faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 14, 2016. The case against Honeycutt was investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is in charge of the prosecution.

Another defendant, Leon Wilson, Jr., admitted that in May of 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement authorities on three separate occasions. The drug deals took place at Wilson’s Charleston apartment. After these drug deals, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at Wilson’s residence. Officers found over $1,000 cash in Wilson’s possession, which included some of the pre-recorded buy money used in one of the drug deals with the confidential informant. Wilson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Charleston on March 16, 2016. The case against Wilson was investigated by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff’s Tactical Operations Patrol Team. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecution. 

These cases were brought as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down drug trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A convicted felon from Huntington, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today to a federal gun charge, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Semaj Markes Leondre Figg, 24, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Huntington to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On April 29, 2015, Figg was arrested by members of the Huntington Police Department for a parole violation. At the time of his arrest, officers found Figg to be in possession of a loaded CZ Model 52, 7.62 x 25 caliber pistol. Figg was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2014 felony conviction in Cabell County Circuit Court for conspiracy to deliver cocaine.

Figg faces up to ten years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 14, 2016.

This case was investigated by the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecution.

The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A 23-year old former Marshall University running back from Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, to two years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Kevin LaShawn Grooms, Jr., previously pleaded guilty in September of 2015 to cyberstalking. After Grooms is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for three years.

Grooms admitted to using a cell phone to send threatening messages to his ex-girlfriend beginning on March 24, 2015, and continuing into the early hours of the next day. Grooms sent the threatening messages using Instagram and text. Grooms further admitted that his conduct placed his ex-girlfriend in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury, and caused her to suffer substantial emotional distress. An investigation conducted by the Federal of Bureau of Investigation revealed that Grooms sent 158 messages to his ex-girlfriend within 8 hours of being released from the Western Regional Jail on March 24, 2015. Grooms was under a Domestic Violence Protection Order at the time he sent the messages. The messages sent by Grooms consisted of photographs and attached messages that mocked the strength of domestic restraining orders and repeatedly threatened his ex-girlfriend. 

Grooms met his ex-girlfriend in September of 2012, when they were both enrolled at Marshall University. Grooms admitted to engaging in a pattern of activity that included stalking, threatening the use of a deadly weapon, and harassing and assaulting his ex-girlfriend throughout their relationship.          

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin stated, “Those who use modern technology to stalk, threaten, and harass need to understand the seriousness of the crime. We will continue to investigate and prosecute these offenses. We will not tolerate such dangerous intimidation.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Johnston handled the prosecution. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Three codefendants were sentenced in federal court today in Charleston, West Virginia, for federal heroin charges, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Michael Richard, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced to five months in federal prison and five months to be served on home confinement for distribution of heroin. Cassandra Washington, 26, of Charleston, was sentenced to credit for time served for aiding and abetting to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Washington had spent approximately one year and four months incarcerated prior to her sentencing. James Christopher Harris, 25, of Detroit, was sentenced to three years of probation with the conditions of five months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service for aiding and abetting to possession with intent to distribute heroin. All three defendants previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug charges in September of 2015.

Richard admitted that on April 10, 2014, he sold a half gram of heroin to a confidential informant working with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). The drug deal took place in a house that Richard shared with Washington at 7 Cherry Lane in Elkview. On the same day as the drug deal, MDENT executed a search warrant of the residence and found Richard, Washington, and Harris in the house. As part of the search, law enforcement seized heroin, digital scales, and sandwich bags used to package heroin. Harris admitted that he had transported the heroin from Detroit to the Elkview residence for Richard and Washington to sell. Washington admitted that she planned to sell the heroin provided by Harris.

The successful prosecution of Richard, Washington, and Harris was the result of an investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team.

This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man who participated in a heroin conspiracy entered a guilty plea today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, announced Unite States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Warren G. Howard, Jr., 24, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to distributing heroin.

During 2013, Howard conspired with others, including Kenneth E. Baxter, to distribute heroin which had been transported from Detroit to the Huntington area. On May 20, 2013, a confidential informant contacted Baxter to arrange a drug deal. Howard and Baxter met the informant in the parking lot of a Kroger located at 1st Street and 7th Avenue in Huntington. The informant entered Howard’s vehicle and Howard sold heroin to the informant.

Howard faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 7, 2016.

Multiple individuals have been convicted of federal drug offenses as a result of the investigation, including Paul A. Roberts, who pleaded guilty in March of 2015 to maintaining a residence for the distribution of heroin, Dustin S. Barton, who pleaded guilty in August of 2015 to distributing heroin, and Sean L. Gist, who pleaded guilty in September of 2015 to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

Those sentenced to federal prison as a result of the investigation include Baxter, who was sentenced to seven years and three months, Coty E. Richardson, who was sentenced to five years and ten months, Ramone L. Wells who was sentenced to four years, and Pricilla Lee Dylan who was sentenced to two years and nine months.

The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force, United States Postal Service, West Virginia State Police, and Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.

This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced the prosecution of two more heroin dealers today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia. A Charleston man was sentenced for distribution of heroin, and a Detroit man entered a guilty plea to aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin.

Michael Ealm, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years and ten months in federal prison for distribution of heroin. Ealm previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug charge and admitted that on three occasions in January, February, and March of 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant. On March 4, 2015, Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team officers executed a search warrant at Ealm’s residence in Charleston. When the officers entered the residence, they caught Ealm trying to flush heroin down the toilet. During the search, officers recovered handguns and additional heroin, and Ealm gave a statement admitting that he had been selling heroin in the Charleston area since January of 2015.

Additionally, Robert James Bellamy, 31, of Detroit, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin. On October 22, 2014, officers with Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) used a confidential informant to purchase heroin from Bellamy in the Kanawha City area of Charleston. On three additional occasions, SEU members conducted controlled purchases of heroin either directly from Bellamy or from an associate working at his direction. Bellamy admitted that from January through December of 2014, he distributed at least 400 grams of heroin in and around Kanawha County. Bellamy faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Charleston on March 23, 2016.

The investigation of Ealm was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. The Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit investigated Bellamy. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is handling the prosecution of both of these cases.

These cases were prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that his office has collected $11,117,355.04 in the last year, which represents more than twice the office’s annual direct budget. Of this amount, $3,223,758.54 was collected in criminal actions, $1,917,340.47 was collected in civil actions, and $5,976,236.03 was collected in asset forfeiture.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia worked with other U.S. Attorneys’ offices, components of the Department of Justice, and other federal agencies to collect an additional $15,003,158 in cases jointly pursued. Of this amount, $3,408 was collected in criminal actions and $14,999,750 was collected in civil actions.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced that the Justice Department collected $23.1 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2015. The more than $23.1 billion in collections in fiscal year 2015 represents more than seven and a half times the approximately $2.93 billion of the Justice Department’s combined appropriations for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.  

"The Department of Justice is committed to upholding the rule of law, safeguarding taxpayer resources, and protecting the American people from exploitation and abuse,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “The collections we are announcing demonstrate not only the strength of that commitment, but also the significant return on public investment that our actions deliver. I want to thank the prosecutors and trial attorneys who made this achievement possible, and to reiterate our dedication to this ongoing work.”

Goodwin noted, “The $11 million collected by this office represents more than twice the direct operating budget for my office for the year. These collections are made possible through the strong collaboration of my civil and criminal divisions, the attorneys and staff, and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Together, we remain focused on community safety, and we will continue working as partners to hold criminals financially accountable for their dishonest gains.”

In December of 2014, Goodwin’s office recovered $1.1 million on behalf of Medicare and West Virginia Medicaid as part of a resolution with Trivillian’s Pharmacy in Charleston for allegations of fraud in dispensing pharmaceuticals. In another pharmacy case, Kofi Agyekum, the former owner and operator of A+ Care Pharmacy in Barboursville, forfeited $2.3 million and a Lexus when he was sentenced in August of this year for violating federal banking laws. The former pharmacy owner admitted that the money used in the banking crimes was derived from the illegal distribution of oxycodone, which the court noted, contributed to the oxycodone abuse epidemic in our communities.

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal healthcare, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services on behalf of Medicare and Medicaid, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.

In addition to the civil and criminal collections, Goodwin’s office, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $5,976,236.03 in asset forfeiture actions in fiscal year 2015. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. This brings the total amount collected by Goodwin’s office in fiscal year 2015 to $11,117,355.04. The fiscal year began on October 1, 2014, and ended on September 30, 2015.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that two more defendants were sentenced in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, for their role in an oxymorphone distribution scheme that took place in a Nitro home.

Jennifer Russell, 42, of Nitro, was sentenced today to five years of probation for knowingly maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing oxymorphone. Russell admitted that from November of 2013 to January of 2014, she allowed her residence at 21A Bailes Drive in Nitro to be used as a place for distribution of oxymorphone pills. Russell allowed Karson Williams, Bridgette Kelly, Gregory Lindsey, and others to distribute the illicit pills from the house.    

Karson Williams, 21, of Charleston, was sentenced to five years of probation for aiding and abetting the distribution of oxymorphone. Williams previously pleaded guilty to the federal drug charge and admitted that on January 14, 2014, he sold a 40 mg oxymorphone pill, commonly known as “Opana,” to a confidential informant. The drug deal took place at Jennifer Russell’s house in Nitro, and Williams further admitted that Bridgette Kelly helped Williams with the drug deal.

Bridgette Kelly, of Charleston, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxymorphone and was sentenced on September 14, 2015, to three years and one month in federal prison. Kelly conspired with Gregory Lindsey, of Detroit, to distribute oxymorphone pills from Jennifer Russell’s residence in Nitro. Lindsey made regular trips to Detroit, sometimes with Kelly, and brought back approximately 100 oxymorphone pills each trip for distribution. On January 30, 2014, officers executed a search warrant at Jennifer Russell’s residence in Nitro and seized over twenty 30 mg oxymorphone pills, over thirty 40 mg oxymorphone pills, and a firearm in Lindsey’s possession. Lindsey previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute oxymorphone, and was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison on August 4, 2014.  

These cases were investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team and the prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman. 

These cases is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A mother and son who sold heroin from their home in Culloden, West Virginia, in 2014 and 2015 entered guilty pleas today in federal court in Huntington to separate drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Toni Lynn Cremeans, 41, pleaded guilty to distributing heroin, and her son, Shawn Paul Cremeans, 24, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin.  

From January of 2014 to May of 2015, Toni Cremeans, her husband, Sanford Dale Cremeans, and their son, Shawn Cremeans, conspired to sell heroin from their residence at 2246 3rd Street in Culloden. During that time period, Toni Cremeans frequently transported heroin to their residence where she and others would prepare it for distribution.

On December 2, 2014, a confidential informant contacted Shawn Cremeans to arrange a heroin purchase. The informant traveled to the Cremeans’ residence and met with Shawn and Sanford Cremeans while they waited for Toni Cremeans to arrive with additional heroin. Once Toni Cremeans arrived, the informant paid Shawn Cremeans and received half a gram of heroin from Sanford Cremeans. Toni Cremeans also admitted that she met with an informant at her residence on December 9, 2014, and sold the informant half a gram of heroin. Both Toni and Shawn Cremeans admitted that they were responsible for distributing a total of between 80 and 100 grams of heroin.

Toni Cremeans faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when she is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 28, 2016. Shawn Cremeans also faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced in federal court in Huntington on March 7, 2016.

Sanford Cremeans previously pleaded guilty in October to distributing heroin and is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Huntington on January 25, 2016.

The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force and Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a jury sitting in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, has returned a guilty verdict following the trial of former Massey Energy Chief Executive Officer Don Blankenship. The jury found Blankenship guilty on a federal charge of conspiracy to willfully violate mine health and safety standards.

“This is a landmark day for the safety of coal miners, and not just coal miners, but all working men and women,” stated U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. “The jury’s verdict sends a clear and powerful message:  It doesn’t matter who you are, how rich you are, or how powerful you are - if you gamble with the safety of the people who work for you, you will be held accountable.”

Over the course of the trial, in which jury selection began on October 1, 2015, the jury heard evidence from 27 witnesses. Many of these witnesses were coal miners who worked at the Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine prior to the 2010 explosion, and they testified in detail from their firsthand knowledge of the unsafe working conditions at UBB, violations of U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulations, and organized efforts to obstruct and interfere with MSHA inspectors. The jury heard from Bill Ross, former Manager of Technical Services at Massey, who testified that he warned Blankenship about the company’s practice of rampant violations, and told the defendant prior to the UBB explosion that Massey’s standard tactic of ignoring or defrauding MSHA could not be sustained without the possibility of a serious accident that could have fatalities. The evidence also showed that Blankenship received daily updates on safety violations and helped perpetuate them.

“The evidence overwhelmingly showed an enterprise that embraced safety crimes as a business strategy. It was reprehensible, and the jury saw it for what it was. Time and time again the defendant chose to put profits over safety. He got rich and the coal miners who worked for him paid the price,” said Goodwin. “This is the first time that I am aware of that the chief executive officer of a major corporation has been convicted of a workplace safety crime. It is my hope that this case will make a difference throughout this country, and make the places where working men and women spend their days a little bit safer. Everyone deserves to go home to their families and friends when their shift is over.”

Blankenship faces up to one year in federal prison, and a fine of up to twice the gain or loss that resulted from his conduct, when he is sentenced on March 23, 2016, in federal court in Charleston.

The prosecution was the result of a comprehensive investigation that took over five years to complete. Blankenship’s conviction is the fifth criminal conviction credited to this investigation. In addition to the convictions of individuals, the results of the investigation also include a resolution of over $200 million with Alpha Natural Resources after it acquired Massey. This agreement established a foundation dedicated to mine safety and health research, the first of its kind, and set aside nearly $50 million in funding for the foundation. That funding has provided the resources for some of the best and brightest minds in the country to pursue research that will make mines safer all over the world.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General. United States Attorney Booth Goodwin and Assistant United States Attorneys Steven R. Ruby, Gregory McVey, and Gabriele Wohl handled the prosecution and tried the case before a federal jury.

The prosecution is part of a sustained effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to protect the health and safety of West Virginia workers by vigorously prosecuting workplace safety crimes and holding accountable those responsible for dangerous working conditions.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin, joined by FBI Special Agent James Lafferty, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL OIG) Special Agent Jeffrey Carter, and Assistant United States Attorneys Steve Ruby, Greg McVey, and Gabriele Wohl, will address the jury verdict in the trial of former Massey Energy Chief Executive Officer Don Blankenship today at a press conference at 1:00 p.m. in the U.S. Marshal’s Office – Suite 3600 - located in the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse in Charleston, West Virginia.

WHO:            

• United States Attorney Booth Goodwin
• FBI Special Agent James Lafferty
• DOL OIG Special Agent Jeffrey Carter
• Assistant United States Attorney Steve Ruby
• Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey
• Assistant United States Attorney Gabriele Wohl

WHAT:         

• Press conference to address the jury verdict in the trial of former Massey CEO Don Blankenship

WHERE:      

• Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse
• U.S. Marshal’s Office – Suite 3600
• 300 Virginia Street, East
• Charleston, WV  25301

WHEN:         

• Today at 1:00 p.m.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that two women were sentenced in federal court today in Charleston, West Virginia, for passing counterfeit $100 bills. Nyteria Green, 36, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to three years in federal prison. O’wynn Rogers, 27, of Beckley, was sentenced to one year in federal prison.

Green and Rogers previously pleaded guilty on August 18, 2015, and admitted to passing counterfeit $100 bills at locations around Beckley, West Virginia, in April 2014. Both women admitted to passing the counterfeit money at several businesses, including at multiple locations in the Crossroads Mall in Mt. Hope and at the IHOP on Harper Road in Beckley. 

In a related case, Paula Green, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty to three counts of passing counterfeit $100 bills in Beckley and Charleston, and faces up to 60 years in prison when she is sentenced on February 24, 2016, at the federal courthouse in Beckley. In another related case, Kenyata Smith, of Beckley, was sentenced on October 21, 2015, to two years of probation for her involvement in the passing of counterfeit money.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Bacaj handled the prosecution. 

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A South Charleston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to distribution of heroin, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Gavin Edwards, 32, of South Charleston, entered his guilty plea today to the federal drug charge.

Edwards admitted that on December 8, 2014, he sold approximately half a gram of heroin to a confidential informant working with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). Edwards completed the drug deal in the parking lot behind his apartment at 4832 Kanawha Turnpike Avenue in South Charleston. Edwards further admitted that on December 10, 2014, he sold the same confidential informant approximately 1.6 grams of heroin.

On December 16, 2014, detectives with MDENT executed a search warrant for the apartment and located over 250 grams of marijuana, over 250 grams of crack, and approximately $5,930 in cash. During the search, officers also recovered an additional $1,569 in cash that Edwards had in his pockets.

Edwards faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on March 16, 2016, in federal court in Charleston.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is in charge of the prosecution.

The case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The United States Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a former West Virginia State Trooper was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to two years and six months in federal prison for distribution of oxymorphone. Christopher Lee Saunders, 43, of Beckley, previously pleaded guilty in June 2015 to the federal drug charge.

Saunders admitted that on January 22, 2015, he sold oxymorphone to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place at the Walmart parking lot located off Robert C. Byrd Drive in MacArthur.

This case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police, and was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The United States Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Beckley man was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to 10 years in federal prison for distribution of heroin, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Rhinelander Hernandez, 37, of Beckley, previously pleaded guilty in August 2015 to the federal drug charge.

Hernandez admitted that on December 2, 2014, he sold heroin to a confidential informant cooperating with law enforcement. The drug deal took place at the Go-Mart parking lot off South Eisenhower Drive in Beckley.

The case was investigated by the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, and was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The United States Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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