Southern District of West Virginia

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Beckley man was sentenced in federal court in Beckley distribution of heroin.  John Lee Jenkins, 51, of Beckley, was sentenced to a 14-month term of imprisonment, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.  Jenkins previously pled guilty in April, 2015, to distributing heroin. 

On November 11, 2014, Jenkins sold heroin to a person who was cooperating with law enforcement authorities.  The drug deal took place on Stanaford Road in Beckley, West Virginia. 

This case was investigated by the Beckley Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and is being prosecuted under the Beckley Pill Initiative directed by the United States Attorney’s Office.     

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. 

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Beckley man was sentenced in federal court in Beckley for distribution of cocaine.  Bryan Cross, 31, of Beckley, was sentenced to twelve years and seven months in prison, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.  Cross previously pled guilty in April of 2015, to distributing a quantity admitting that he had sold cocaine to a person who was cooperating with law enforcement authorities.  The drug deal took place on Canterbury Drive in Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia.  This case was investigated by the Beckley Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman who participated in a heroin distribution conspiracy in 2012 and 2013 pleaded guilty today in federal court in Huntington, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Patricia Lee Dylan, 21, entered a guilty plea to maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing and using heroin.

Between November of 2012 and March of 2013, Dylan was the tenant of an apartment located at 1231 10th Avenue in Huntington.  During that period, Dylan allowed others to store heroin at her apartment after it was transported to Huntington from Detroit.  Dylan also allowed others to distribute heroin from her apartment to various customers. 

On March 8, 2013, agents with the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Dylan’s apartment.  During the search, agents seized heroin, a .32 caliber revolver, ammunition, and other items associated with the sale of heroin. 

Dylan faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9, 2015.

The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is responsible for 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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a convicted felon originally from Detroit, Michigan was sentenced in federal court in Huntington today to seventy months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm.  Joseph Lovell Cook, 22, previously pled guilty to possessing an SKS semi-automatic assault rifle on July 3, 2014, in Barboursville, West Virginia.  Cook was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of a 2010 assault with a dangerous weapon conviction in Michigan and a 2012 drug trafficking conviction in Cabell County, West Virginia. 

The FBI Drug Task Force and the DEA Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Greg McVey and Jennifer Rada Herrald are responsible for the prosecution.

The case is 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.    

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A former Detroit man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison on a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Tony Searcy, 48, previously pled guilty in federal court in Huntington to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it.  Searcy admitted that on September 26, 2014, he traveled from Detroit, Michigan to Huntington, West Virginia, with approximately 100 grams of heroin that he intended to distribute. 

The investigation was conducted by the DEA Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Greg McVey and Jennifer Rada Herrald are responsible for 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. 

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man who sold heroin to undercover agents on multiple occasions in March of 2015 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Bryant D. Long, II, 28, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Huntington to distributing heroin.

On March 13, 2015, Long agreed to meet with undercover DEA agents in Huntington, where he sold them 8.5 grams of heroin for $1,200.  During the meeting, Long also made arrangements with the agents for future heroin sales.  The heroin distributed by Long was confirmed through laboratory testing to contain heroin and Fentanyl, a schedule II painkiller that is particularly dangerous when mixed with heroin.  On March 23, 2015, Long met with agents again, and sold an additional 9.8 grams of heroin in exchange for $1,250.

On March 30, 2015, Long was arrested after agents executed a search warrant at 504 Marcum Terrace in Huntington. Agents seized additional heroin during the search and Long admitted that he had been in Huntington for the prior month distributing heroin and crack cocaine.    

Long faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9, 2015.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is responsible for 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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Joseph Allen Rogers, 41, of Chapmanville, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for selling the powerful prescription painkiller oxymorphone, commonly known as Opana. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. in Charleston. 

Rogers previously pleaded guilty to distribution of oxymorphone. As part of the plea, Rogers admitted that he sold Opana to a confidential informant on three separate occasions on April 14, 15, and 16, 2014. Officers with the U.S. 119 Task Force also executed a search warrant on Rogers’ residence in Chapmanville and located additional oxymorphone, oxycodone, cash, and a firearm.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. 119 Task Force and the West Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is responsible for the prosecution.

The prosecution was brought as 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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -  A 55-year old Cabell County man was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Daniel Walter Varnes, of Huntington, West Virginia, had previously entered a guilty plea before Chief District Court Judge Robert C. Chambers.

Varnes was convicted in 2000 in Colorado of Sexual Assault of a Child Under Age 15 by a Person in a Position of Trust and was required to register as a sex offender as a result.  In August 2014, Varnes moved to Huntington, West Virginia, and did not register as a sex offender despite knowing it was required by law.   He continued to reside and work in Huntington without registering until his arrest on February 6, 2015. 

The United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is responsible for the prosecution.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.

Former A+ Care Pharmacy Sentenced to 64 Months in Federal Prison and Forfeited $2.3 Million and a Lexus

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Kofi Ohene Agyekum, 37, former owner and operator of A+ Care Pharmacy in Barboursville, West Virginia, was sentenced in federal court in Huntington today to five years and four months in federal prison for violating federal banking laws.  Federal banking laws aimed at identifying criminal activity, including drug crimes and terrorism, require financial institutions to report cash transactions of more than $10,000 to federal authorities.  Structuring, or dividing cash transactions into amounts less than $10,000, is a common technique used by criminals to avoid triggering the reporting requirements and the detection of the underlying crimes.

At his plea hearing in May 2015, Agyekum admitted that he deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash that he derived from his operation of A+ Care Pharmacy.  To avoid the federal reporting requirement, Agyekum admitted that he structured each deposit in an amount less than $10,000 and made the deposits in multiple bank accounts in various area banks, including Huntington National Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Chase Bank and First Sentry Bank.

At the sentencing hearing, the Court found that the money Agyekum used in the banking crimes was derived from the distribution of oxycodone from A+ Care Pharmacy, both with prescriptions that had every indicia of illegality and without any prescriptions at all.  The Court noted that these were very serious crimes that contributed to the oxycodone abuse epidemic and that Agyekum was driven by simple greed. 

Agyekum also agreed to forfeit to the United States more than $2.3 million plus a Lexus.

Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed today’s sentence.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, the West Virginia State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is responsible for the prosecution.

Huntington, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Lawrence Milton Works, 28, of Detroit, Michigan was sentenced to three years and ten months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin. 

In his April 2015 guilty plea, Works admitted that he possessed for distribution, approximately 80 grams of heroin, 117 30 mg oxycodone pills, and approximately 3.3 grams of cocaine at his apartment in East Pea Ridge, Huntington for distribution.  Works also had over $5,700.00 in drug proceeds and two firearms inside the apartment. 

Today’s sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert C. Chambers.

The investigation was conducted by the Huntington Violent Crimes and Drug Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman 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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Antonio Sanjuan Shadwick, also known as “Eastside,” of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to distribution 100 or more grams of heroin. The sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers in Huntington.

Shadwick, 32, admitted that from April 2013 through April 4, 2014, he worked with his source to distribute approximately 50 grams of heroin per week to individuals in and around Cabell County. Shadwick was arrested on January 8, 2015, and was found in possession of a loaded handgun, heroin, and crack cocaine. Shadwick admitted that over the course of the conspiracy, he distributed between 1 and 3 kilograms of heroin.

The investigation was conducted by the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department’s Special Emphasis Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Haley Bunn and Greg McVey 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.  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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Atlanta man who was caught with crack cocaine and a loaded firearm in Huntington in 2014 was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Reginald Wendell Weems, 33, previously pleaded guilty in federal court in Huntington in April of 2015 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. 

On September 15, 2014, agents with the DEA Task Force received a tip that Weems was in the 1400 block of 15th Street in Huntington selling crack cocaine. Agents stopped a car in which Weems was a passenger. When agents searched the car, they found over 35 grams of crack and a loaded 9mm pistol.  Weems admitted that both the crack cocaine and the gun were his. Weems also admitted that he distributed crack cocaine in the Huntington area. 

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.

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 working with existing local programs that target gun crime.

CHARLESTON MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL DRUG CHARGE

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Matthew Julius Watts, II, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston to distributing heroin.  Watts admitted that on September 17, 2014, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement authorities.  The drug deal took place at the 7-Eleven Store parking lot located on Washington Street, West, Charleston, West Virginia.

Watts faces up to twenty years of imprisonment and a $1,000,000.00 fine when he is sentenced on October 29, 2015, by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. .

The investigation was conducted by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department.  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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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Carl Taylor, 64, and Patsy Taylor, 52, of Charleston were each sentenced yesterday to federal prison for illegal firearm possession.  On January 4, 2013, Carl Taylor received a package of 100 oxycodone pills.  Just weeks earlier Carl and Patsy Taylor had received a package of 90 oxycodone pills.  During a search of the Taylor residence, a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun was discovered. The Taylors admitted that at the time they jointly possessed the firearm, they were unlawful and habitual users of oxycodone. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston sentenced Patsy Taylor to 12 months and one day imprisonment, and Carl Taylor to five months imprisonment to be followed by five months of home confinement. Both Patsy and Carl Taylor must also complete a three year term of supervised release following their prison sentences.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn was responsible for the prosecution.

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. This case was also 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. 

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Kevin Terrell, 29, of Beckley, West Virginia, plead guilty in federal court in Beckley today to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.  On January 13, 2015, law enforcement officers seized an assault rifle from Terrell’s residence on Granville Avenue in Beckley.  Terrell admitted that he possessed the rifle, knowing that he was prohibited because of prior felony convictions in 2007 for unlawful wounding and felony destruction of property.  Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing any firearm.

Terrell faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  United States District Judge Irene C. Berger scheduled the sentencing for November 18, 2015. 

The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman who participated in a heroin distribution conspiracy in 2012 was sentenced today to five years’ probation, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Kathleen M. Young, 51, previously pleaded guilty in March 2015 to conspiring to distribute heroin. Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.

During the month of June 2012, Young assisted others in distributing heroin in and around Huntington. Young frequently delivered heroin for others to locations where it was subsequently distributed. Young also collected cash proceeds from distributions and delivered them to other heroin dealers. 

On June 28, 2012, Young was stopped by agents in the 2100 block of 9th Avenue in Huntington. Agents observed Young attempting to stuff a plastic bag in her pants and subsequently discovered the bag to contain approximately 20 grams of heroin.

The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, 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.

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a federal inmate pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon in a federal prison.

Rico Joy, 34, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution at McDowell, located near Welch, West Virginia, admitted that on April 21 he possessed a handcrafted knife known as a “shank.”  Joy is serving a twenty-year sentence following his 2007 conviction in South Carolina for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He faces up to five additional years in prison when he is sentenced on August 15, 2015.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John File. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber conducted the plea hearing.

Defendant had more than 600 child-pornography photos and videos

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – An Oak Hill, West Virginia man pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. William A. Cracraft, 52, admitted to having more than 600 photographs and videos of child pornography on his computers and mobile phones.

The images included sexually explicit depictions of prepubescent minors, as well as scenes of sadistic and masochistic conduct and of violence toward minors.

Cracraft faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on October 8, 2015. The devices containing the child pornography will be destroyed.

The Department of Homeland Security and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., conducted the plea hearing.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/wvs/PSCpage.html.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that United States District Judge Irene C. Berger sentenced two Lewisburg men to federal prison in heroin cases today. The sentences were handed down in Beckley.

Harry Franklin Huffman II, 26, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment for use of a communication facility to facilitate a felony. Huffman pleaded guilty in March, admitting that on September 23, 2014, he used a telephone in Lewisburg to help set up a drug transaction with a confidential informant. Shortly after that phone conversation, Huffman distributed heroin to the informant.

Kip Aaron Sears, 26, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment for use of a communication facility to facilitate a felony. Sears also pleaded guilty in March. He admitted that on September 30, 2014, he used a telephone in Lewisburg to set up a drug transaction with an informant. Later that day Sears met with the informant and distributed a quantity of heroin.

These cases were prosecuted under the Greenbrier Valley Heroin and Pill Initiative, part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the sale of heroin and the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down the spread of heroin and opiate painkillers in communities across the Southern District. Assistant United States Attorney John File prosecuted these cases.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that David Brandon Ball, 35, of Charleston, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for defrauding timeshare owners throughout the United States and Canada.

Ball and an associate, David Andrew Glynn, formed Mountain State Resales, LLC (MSR), a bogus company used to defraud timeshare owners of money. Ball and his associates told timeshare owners that MSR had a buyer for their timeshares and persuaded them to advance money to MSR in South Charleston to cover fees and expenses necessary for the sales.

In truth, however, MSR had no buyers for the timeshares. Ball knew that the timeshare owners would not receive anything in return for money sent to MSR.

In an unusual twist on their principal scam, Ball and his associates, including Glynn, also posed as “agents” eager to help timeshare owners who had lost money in other timeshare fraud schemes. In this spin-off scheme, they said they were affiliated with a non-existent organization named “Internal Revenue Recovery Associates” and were investigating timeshare fraud. Ball admitted that he and his coconspirators told the timeshare owners to send money to MSR to assist “agents” in recovering the lost funds.

“This guy was stealing money out of both pockets of timeshare owners,” said U.S. Attorney Goodwin. “He got rich by setting up fake timeshare sales, while at the same time posing as someone who could help fraud victims get their money back. It would be hard to believe if it weren’t true.”

“Protecting innocent citizens against fraud schemes like this is an important part of what my office does,” Goodwin continued. “I’m happy to say this crook is heading to federal prison.”

Neither MSR nor Internal Recovery Associates were legitimate businesses. Both were used to defraud timeshare owners. Ball admitted that MSR received at least $80,346 from the conspiracy.

Ball further admitted that in 2013, he operated a Florida-based company called International Transfers and Documents (International Transfers), which, like MSR, was created and used to defraud timeshare owners. This Florida scheme tricked victims out of more than $145,000.

Ball was ordered to pay restitution to the victims of both MSR and International Transfers in the amount of $210,920.25. Glynn previously pleaded guilty and received 30 months in federal prison for his role in the offense.

Ball’s sentence was handed down by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., in Charleston.

Today’s sentencing stems from an investigation being conducted by the West Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith George Thomas is handling the prosecution.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Lorenzo Anderson, 32, of Beckley, pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge. Anderson admitted that on February 16, 2015, when a search warrant was executed at his Beckley home, he was in possession of cocaine base with the intent to distribute it.

Anderson faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger scheduled Anderson’s sentencing for October 21, 2015.

The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit conducted the investigation.

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin today announced a two-year prison sentence and two guilty pleas in federal court in Bluefield.

Leonard Carey Rucker, 44, of Princeton, West Virginia, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for distributing heroin. He pleaded guilty in February, admitting that on November 4, 2014, he distributed heroin to a confidential informant in Princeton.

Craig Arnold Young, 42, of Lashmeet, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to using a communication facility to facilitate a felony, admitting that on December 16, 2014, he used a telephone in or near Lashmeet to help carry out a drug transaction with an informant. Shortly after the telephone conversation, Young distributed hydromorphone to the informant. Young faces up to four years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on November 3, 2015.

Aree Lumpkins, 19, of Bluefield, also pleaded guilty to use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony. He admitted that on October 30, 2014, he used a telephone in Bluefield to help set up a drug transaction with an informant. After the telephone conversation, he distributed cocaine base and hydromorphone to the informant. Lumpkins faces up to four years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for November 3, 2015.

The hearings in all the cases were conducted by Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber.

These cases were investigated by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force in Bluefield under the Bluefield Pill Initiative, 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. 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 opiates--including illegal painkillers and heroin--in communities across the Southern District. Assistant United States Attorney John File prosecuted these cases.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Travis Leonard Sumpter, 38, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. On December 4, 2014, members of the Charleston Police Department found Sumpter to be in possession of a Cobra Enterprises .38 Special derringer. Sumpter was prohibited from possessing a firearm by virtue of a 2007 felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for wanton endangerment involving a firearm.

Sumpter faces up to ten years' imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on October 7, 2015, by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

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

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman caught selling heroin last year was sentenced today to six months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. Sunshine Renae Midkiff, 35, previously pleaded guilty in April 2015 to distributing heroin. Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed today’s sentence.

On October 16, 2014, Midkiff met an informant working with the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force in the 2200 block of Artisan Avenue in Huntington and sold heroin to the informant. Midkiff also sold heroin to an informant in Huntington in September 2014.

The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force 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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man who illegally sold oxycodone pills in 2013 and 2014 was sentenced today to two years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Clinton Mack Mount, 38, pleaded guilty in April 2015 to distributing oxycodone. Today’s sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

On January 13, 2014, Mount met an informant working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) outside a Barboursville restaurant and sold the informant 100 oxycodone pills for $3,000. Mount also sold oxycodone pills to an informant on three other occasions from December 2013 to January 2014.

The DEA 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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man who participated in a Huntington heroin distribution conspiracy in 2013 and 2014 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. Khaleef Teron Chandler, 21, entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers conducted the plea hearing.

On August 31, 2013, officers with the Huntington Police Department responded to a report of an altercation at 747 Washington Avenue in Huntington. Officers encountered Chandler at the residence. While talking with officers, Chandler attempted to conceal a plastic bag containing heroin.

Several months later, on February 9, 2014, Chandler was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Lakeisha Sherrell Williams that was stopped in Lawrence County, Ohio, by the Ohio Highway Patrol. Chandler and Williams were placed in the rear seat of a patrol vehicle during the stop. While in the police vehicle, Chandler and Williams attempted to conceal approximately 96 grams of heroin by stuffing it under the seat. Chandler and Williams were transporting the heroin from Detroit to Huntington, where they planned to distribute it. Chandler admitted as part of his plea that he distributed heroin in the Huntington area from August 2013 to February 2014.

Williams was previously sentenced to 37 months in federal prison in December 2014 for her role in the heroin conspiracy.

Chandler faces up to 20 years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2015.

The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force conducted the investigation with assistance from the Huntington Police Department, Cabell County Sheriff’s Department and Ohio Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is in charge of 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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Randall Lee Walker Jr., 38, of Columbus, Ohio, entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Walker admitted that on June 2, 2014, he had a .45 caliber Glock pistol in his backpack at the Greyhound bus station in Charleston.

Officers with the Charleston Police Department responded that day to a 911 call reporting a suspicious person with a gun at the bus station. Walker was approached by the officers. He admitted that he had the pistol and turned it over to them. Walker had previously been convicted of burglary and felony possession of cocaine in South Carolina and thus was prohibited from possessing the gun.

Walker faces up to ten years' imprisonment when he is sentenced on October 15, 2015, by United States District Court Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

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

Bluefield, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that three Mercer County men were sentenced today in federal court in Bluefield.  Lamar Baxter, 39, of Princeton, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for using a communication facility to facilitate a felony.  Baxter pled guilty in March of 2015, admitting that on  November 11, 2014, he used a telephone in Princeton to set up a drug deal with a confidential informant, and shortly thereafter distributed seven 30mg oxycodone pills to the informant.  Baxter admitted distributing a total of about 100 30mg oxycodone pills and about 100 hydromorphone pills over a period of time.

     Joshua Blevins, 31, of Bluefield, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for use of a communication facility to facilitate a felony.  Blevins guilty in February of 2015, admitting that on November 21, 2014, he used a telephone in or near Bluewell to set up a drug deal with a confidential informant.  Shortly after that telephone call, Blevins distributed one oxymorphone pill to the informant.  Blevins admitted to distributing a total of four oxymorphone pills to the informant.

      Carl E. Howard, 62, of Princeton, was sentenced to 11 months in federal prison for distributing hydromorphone.  Howard  pled guilty in February of 2015, and admitted that on July 8, 2014, he distributed two hydromorphone pills to a confidential informant in Princeton.  He further admitted that he distributed a total of 13 hydromorphone pills and small quantities of cocaine base and heroin.

     These cases were investigated by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force under the Bluefield Pill Initiative, 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.  Assistant United States Attorney John File prosecuted these cases.  

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Jennifer Napier, 39, of East Bank, West Virginia pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to straw purchasing a firearm for a person she knew to be a convicted felon.  In October of 2011, Napier purchased a firearm from the Trading Post, a federally licensed firearms dealer, in Marmet, West Virginia, and she filled out a Department of Justice form required for anyone who purchases a firearm from a federally licensed dealer.  On that form, Napier falsely stated that she was the transferee/buyer of the firearm, when she knew that the true transferee of the firearm was a different person who was prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms because he was a convicted felon.  As part of her plea agreement, Napier agreed to voluntarily surrender her permanent professional teaching certificate and not reapply to get her certificate back until her federal sentence, including any term of supervision, has expired. Napier faces up to five years’ imprisonment when she is sentenced on October 14, 2015.

This case was investigated by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is 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.   

Charleston, W.Va. – A Charleston man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to 37 months in federal prison, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Travis Devon Woods, 26, previously pleaded guilty on March 12, 2015, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  On December 16, 2013, on the West Side of Charleston, members of law enforcement approached Woods to discuss an incident that had occurred nearby.  When officers asked Woods to stop to speak with them, Woods fled on foot down a nearby alley.  After a brief chase, law caught Woods and found a loaded Taurus .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the alley where Woods fled.  The West Virginia State Police Forensic Library matched Woods’s DNA to DNA recovered from the weapon.

Woods had previously been convicted in Kanawha County, West Virginia, in 2009 of nighttime burglary and first degree robbery. The sentence imposed by the federal court will run consecutive to a state sentence that he is currently serving for parole violations.

The Charleston Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald handled the prosecution.

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.

Charleston, W.Va.  – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Gary Griffith, 63, of Oceana, West Virginia, was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to six months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $5,000 fine.  Griffith, who pled guilty last summer, admitted he made a materially false statement in a federal matter.  Griffith also admitted that he lied about receiving kickbacks as an employee of the Mountain Laurel Mining Complex, a coal mine in Logan County, West Virginia, associated with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arch Coal.

Griffith, the former maintenance manager at Mountain Laurel, admitted he and mine general manager David E. Runyon received cash kickbacks in the amount of at least $250,000 from an individual associated with the North American Rebuild Company, Inc (NARCO) since approximately 2002.  NARCO provided shuttle cars to Arch Coal’s Ben Creek mine, and later at the Mountain Laurel Mining Complex.  Griffith admitted that an individual, on behalf of NARCO, paid kickbacks to Griffith and Runyon for each shuttle car ordered for the mines.  Griffith denied receiving kickbacks when questioned by federal agents.

Griffith was also ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution to Arch Coal, Inc.

Today’s charge stems from an investigation being conducted by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the West Virginia State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Meredith George Thomas is in charge of the prosecution.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man found with heroin in Huntington in 2013 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  David Darrell Walker, 37, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Huntington to possession with intent to distribute heroin.

On August 8, 2013, members of the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at 1301 15th Street in Huntington.  Officers found Walker in the residence and seized approximately 35 grams of heroin, 42 oxycodone pills and two guns. Walker admitted as part of his guilty plea that he intended to distribute the heroin and pills from the residence.

Walker faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28, 2015.

The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force and Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is in charge of 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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A South Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Michael Andrew Rude, 34, pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it.  Rude admitted that on April 23, 2015, he had heroin at his home in South Charleston that he intended to sell.  Rude also admitted that he had sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on several other occasions in April.

Rude faces up to twenty years of imprisonment when he is sentenced on October 1, 2015.

The investigation was conducted by the Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of 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.

Beckley, W.Va. – U. S. Attorney Booth Goodwin and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski presented Wyoming County law enforcement agencies with over $200,000 in forfeited cash as a result of their participation in joint investigations with the IRS.  The objective of the federal asset forfeiture program is to take the profit out of crime and give it back to communities.  Forfeiture proceeds are shared with state and local law enforcement agencies as a result of their direct participation in investigations resulting in forfeiture.  The forfeited money shared today resulted from investigations into The New WV Mining Company, James Trent, Brandy Horvath, et al. and Jerry H. Harvey, Jr..   The agencies receiving a share of the forfeiture for their role of the investigations were the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department - $118,326; Pineville Police Department - $63,034; and the Wyoming County Prosecutor’s Office - $41,468.

As a result of their investigation, Brandy Horvath, President of The New WV Mining Company, Horvath’s then boyfriend James Thomas Trent of Rock View, Wyoming County, and others, were identified as having structured cash withdrawals from the company’s bank accounts.  “Structuring” involves the breaking down of cash transactions in the amount of $10,000 or less for the purpose of avoiding bank reporting requirements to the IRS.  Horvath was named New WV Mining’s president and sole officer of the company to conceal Trent’s interest in the company.  New WV Mining began mining coal for Riverside Energy at a mine near Gary, McDowell County, West Virginia.  Once operations began, Horvath routinely withdrew cash for her and Trent’s personal use from New WV Mining’s bank accounts and intentionally misrepresented the nature of the withdrawals as legitimate business expenses, knowing that the personal cash withdrawals would have been taxable to her. As President of New WV Mining, Horvath signed and caused the company’s accountant to file a corporate income tax return for the year 2008 that she knew failed to disclose the true amount of money she and Trent had taken from the company.  Horvath pleaded guilty to tax evasion, and on behalf of New WV Mining, she pleaded guilty to structuring cash withdrawals from company bank accounts to avoid IRS reporting requirements.  As a result, New WV Mining Company agreed to forfeit $731,581 and a 2011 Nissan 370z.    Trent pleaded guilty to federal income tax fraud for reporting he had no earnings on his 2008 personal income tax return, although he had sold the lease and mining permits of a McDowell County-based mining company he owned for which he received $100,000.  Horvath and Trent were sentenced to 26 months and 36 months in prison, respectively.

Wyoming County law enforcement was also awarded forfeited cash for their contributions to the investigation of Jerry H. Harvey, Jr., of Oceana, West Virginia.  Harvey pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting structuring financial transactions to avoid IRS bank reporting requirements.  Harvey admitted that for more than a year he intentionally made multiple bank withdrawals not exceeding $10,000 so the bank would not report the withdrawals to the IRS.  He also admitted that the withdrawn funds were profits he made while engaged in the interstate transportation and receipt of stolen property, from which he gained more than $100,000.  Pursuant to his plea agreement, Harvey forfeited $303,000 to the United States.

Beckley, W.Va. – U. S. Attorney Booth Goodwin and IRS Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski will be presenting forfeited cash to the Wyoming County Prosecutor’s Office, Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department and the Pineville Police Department as a result of their assistance in the cases of U. S. v. Jerry Harvey, Jr. and U.S. v. James Trent.

WHAT:  Presentation of forfeiture proceeds to local law enforcement agencies in Wyoming County as a result of their participation in joint investigations with the IRS.

WHEN:  Friday, June 26, 2015, at 10:00am

WHERE:  U.S. Courthouse & IRS Complex, 110 North Heber Street, Beckley, WV (weather permitting, the press conference will be in front of the building; if raining, it will take place in the lobby)

WHO:   U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin,  IRS Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski, IRS Assistant Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco, IRS Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gandee, IRS Special Agent Jeff Goode, Wyoming County Prosecutor Mike Cochrane, Wyoming County Sheriff Randall Aliff and Chief Deputy Sherill Parker, and Mayor Tim Ellison, representing the Pineville Police Department

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Anthony Curtis Beckley II, 34, pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston to possessing oxycodone with the intent to distribute.  Beckley admitted that on October 7, 2013, he possessed over 200 oxycodone pills that he intended to sell.

Beckley faces up to twenty years of imprisonment when he is sentenced on September 21, 2015.

The investigation was conducted by the Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of 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.

Charleston, W.Va. –   United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Belinda Burdette,  43, of Racine, WV., was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to five years of probation for using a cell phone to traffic drugs. Burdette previously pled guilty in March admitting that she had used her cell phone to arrange the delivery of oxycodone pills to a woman in Boone County. Burdette also admitted that she had obtained the oxycodone pills from a local K-Mart Pharmacy in Charleston where she was employed as a pharmacy technician and that neither she nor the person the pills were delivered to had a valid prescription for oxycodone.

The successful prosecution of Burdette was the result of the cooperative investigative efforts of agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

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.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Olivia Dixon, 31, of Midway, West Virginia was sentenced today in federal court in Beckley to eight months in federal prison, followed by a one year term of supervised release.  Dixon previously pled guilty in March of 2015, to acquiring hydromorphone and morphine sulfate by fraud. Dixon, a former nurse at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, West Virginia, admitted that on November 10, 2014, she stole pain medications intended for patients, including morphine, for her own personal use.  This case was investigated by the Beckley Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and is being prosecuted under the Beckley Pill Initiative directed by the United States Attorney’s Office.    

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.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Michael Erwin Basham, 35, of Glen Daniel, was sentenced today to serve two years in federal prison, followed by a one year term of supervised release.  Basham previously pled guilty in February of 2015, to using a telephone to arrange a sale of oxycodone to a person cooperating with law enforcement authorities.  The phone call was made near Glen Daniel.

The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit conducted the investigation.    

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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A 31-year old man from Weirton, West Virginia pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to receiving child pornography, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Joshua Mark Taylor, a former teacher at Collins Middle School, in Oak Hill, West Virginia entered a guilty plea before United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. in Charleston.

According to court documents and proceedings, Taylor was employed by the Fayette County Board of Education as teacher at Collins Middle School from approximately March of 2013 to January of 2014.  Taylor admitted that in November of 2013, he exchanged a large number of text messages with a 12-year-old female who was a student at the school. Taylor also admitted that from about November  to January of 2014, he persuaded the student to take photographs of her genital area and send them to him on his cell phone.  Taylor admitted to receiving the sexually explicit images on his cell phone on December 14, 2013.  Finally, Taylor admitted to distributing or attempting to distribute the sexually explicit images through interstate commerce.

The investigation was initiated by the West Virginia State Police in January of 2014, after the father of the student reported her missing.  Taylor picked the minor up at her family home and returned her to her home uninjured after she was missing for nearly 22 hours.  The investigation led to Taylor’s arrest the next day in St. Marys, West Virginia.  Prior to being arrested, Taylor sent the minor a text message urging her not to cooperate with the investigation or prosecution.

Taylor faces a mandatory prison sentence of 15 years, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Taylor will also be required to register as a sex offender.  Sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2015.

U.S. Attorney Goodwin credited the West Virginia State Police and the other law enforcement agencies that worked so hard on the investigation.  “The collaborative efforts of the West Virginia State Police, West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation should be commended.  Their cooperation brought yet another child predator to justice,” said Goodwin.

Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution.

This case is being brought as part of U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Columbus, Ohio man who possessed heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in a Parkersburg hotel room was found guilty today by a federal jury, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  On August 4, 2013, drug task force officers arrested Toby Germaine Person, 39,  and Amanda Sue White, 25, both of Columbus, Ohio, in their hotel room at the Comfort Inn and Suites in Parkersburg.  The arrests followed the execution of a search warrant whereby police seized distribution quantities of heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine along with cash, digital scales, and packaging materials.  Officers obtained the search warrant after conducting a traffic stop of two individuals who had just purchased drugs from Person in the hotel room.

Person has an extensive history of drug trafficking that includes felony convictions in federal court in both Ohio and the Southern District of West Virginia.  He was serving two concurrent terms of federal supervised release at the time of his arrest.  White was convicted in Wood County on state charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to the state penitentiary.

Person faces up to 20 years in federal prison as a result of his conviction to be followed by up to a consecutive four years for having violated the terms of his supervised release when he is sentenced on October 5, 2015.  United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the trial.

The case was investigated by personnel from the Parkersburg Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Virginia State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Jennifer Rada Herrald handled the prosecution.

Charleston, W.Va. – A Washington D.C. convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to six years in federal prison, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Sean Anthony Nalle, 30, previously pleaded guilty on March 23, 2015 to pawning a semiautomatic pistol at Carl’s Pawn Shop in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Nalle was previously convicted of drug trafficking felony offenses in the District of Columbia on March 24, 2006, and June 26, 2009.  These convictions make it unlawful for him to possess a firearm.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Parkersburg Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks handled the prosecution.

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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Jazzmyn Rochon Litzy, aka Zoe, 35, from Cabell County, West Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court in Huntington to possession with intent to deliver heroin.  In December of 2014, a member of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) working in an undercover capacity, bought drugs twice from Litzy.   Following these drug deals , DEA obtained a search warrant for Litzy’s Huntington home at 127 Oakland Avenue. The search of the home yielded more than 70 grams of heroin, and several firearms.  Litzy was previously convicted of robbery in 2001, and drug trafficking and tampering with evidence in 2007.  These felony convictions make it a federal crime for Litzy to possess any firearm.

Litzy faces up to 20 years in federal prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2015.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers, presided over the plea hearing.

The investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Huntington Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.

Charleston, W.Va. –  Christopher Strick, 36, of Charleston, West Virginia pled guilty today in federal court in Charleston to distribution of heroin, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Strick admitted that on January 13, 2012, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (“MDent”) in exchange for $200.00. The transaction occurred at defendant’s Edgewood Drive residence.

Strick faces up to twenty years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine when sentenced on September 22, 2015.

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 heroin and prescription drugs.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal heroin and pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers in communities across the Southern District.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Mark Silverburg, also known as “Dip,” 41, of Lexington, Kentucky and Alpharetta, Georgia, was sentenced to 41 months imprisonment in federal court in Huntington.  Silverburg had previously pleaded guilty in October of 2014 to conspiring with others to distribute cocaine and marijuana.  Silverburg admitted that between approximately 2010 and January 20, 2014, he supplied cocaine and marijuana for Kenneth Newman, also known as “K-Kutta.” Silverburg, along with others working for him, transported cocaine from the Lexington, Kentucky area to Newman in Huntington.  One of those individuals, Leroy Wilson, previously plead guilty to his role as a courier of drugs and money for Silverburg.

On January 8, 2014, Wilson transported approximately $6,800 from Newman’s residence on Artisan Avenue in Huntington to Silverburg near Lexington, Kentucky. On January 9, 2014, Silverburg instructed Wilson to travel to Huntington from Lexington to Newman’s residence.  Prior to that drive, Silverburg placed a brown paper bag in the trunk of the car Wilson was driving. Once Wilson arrived at Newman’s residence, Newman took two plastic bags full of cocaine out of the brown paper bag. In a statement given to agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Wilson estimated the total weight of the cocaine to be between six and nine ounces.

Silverburg, Kenneth and George Newman, and seven other defendants have pled guilty to various charges stemming from the yearlong investigation by agents the DEA, Huntington Police Department, ATF, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team.  The investigation revealed that in addition to cocaine and heroin, members of the Newman drug trafficking conspiracy were responsible for distributing oxycodone, crack cocaine, morphine, MDMA, known on the street as “Molly” or “Ecstasy,”  and marijuana.

The 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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a Kanawha County man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Travis Lee Hudnall, 30, of Hansford, West Virginia entered a guilty plea to possessing a Remington 12 gauge shotgun that he pawned in Charleston on March 13, 2014.  Hudnall had previously been convicted in 2008 in Kanawha County of daytime entering without breaking, a felony offense that made it illegal for Hudnall to possess a firearm.  

Hudnall faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on September 17, 2015.

The investigation was conducted by the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution.

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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man who assisted in the sale of heroin in Huntington in 2013 and 2014 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Ramone L. Wells, 20, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Huntington to conspiracy to distribute heroin.

From February of 2013 to December 8, 2014, Wells worked with multiple associates to distribute heroin in Huntington that had been transported from Detroit.  Wells supervised street level heroin dealers in Huntington and collected cash proceeds from the heroin sales. Wells also sold heroin directly. Wells and his associates used multiple Huntington residences to store, prepare and distribute heroin, including a home at 403 Homestead Place.

On December 6, 2014, a United States Postal Inspector intercepted a package mailed to the Homestead Place address that contained approximately 230 grams of heroin.  Agents delivered the package that day and after it was accepted, executed a search warrant at the residence. During the search, agents seized heroin, paraphernalia used to package and distribute heroin, cash, and four guns.

Wells faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2015.

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 is in charge of 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.

Beckley, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that three drug dealers made appearance in federal court in Beckley today.  Evelyn Ann Sizemore, 32, of Lewisburg, pled guilty to using a communication facility to facilitate a felony, admitting that on December 9, 2014, she used a telephone around Lewisburg to send a text message to arrange a drug deal.  Shortly after the text message was sent, Sizemore sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement.  Sizemore faces up to four years in prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced on October 8, 2015.

Two additional drug defendants from Huntington, West Virginia were also sentenced today in Beckley federal court. Randolph Ingram, 55, was sentenced to four years in prison for using a communication facility to facilitate a felony, and Rachel Jade Corrigan, 26, was sentenced to three years of probation for aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin.  Ingram and Corrigan pled guilty in February of 2015.  Ingram admitted using a telephone to help arrange the sale of heroin in Lewisburg, and Corrigan admitted that after the Ingram sold the heroin, she concealed the money in her underwear to take it to Huntington.

The cases were investigated by the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force under the Greenbrier Valley Heroin and Pill Inititative, a part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the sale of heroin and the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin in communities across the Southern District.  Assistant United States Attorney John File prosecuted these cases.

Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Steven Anthony Major, 50, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for threatening to murder United States Senator Joseph Manchin, III, and his family members.

On February 24, 2015, Major pleaded guilty to threatening to murder Senator Manchin. Major admitted that he called Senator Manchin’s Charleston and Washington, D.C. offices on four separate occasions from March 17 through 20, 2014. On each of those occasions, Major left a voice message making violent threats against the Senator and his family members.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Capitol Police, and West Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn handled the prosecution.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a Charleston, West Virginia man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.  James Philip Daugherty, 20, entered a guilty plea to carrying a loaded Ruger semi-automatic pistol on January 9, 2015, while he possessed crack cocaine that he intended to distribute in and around Charleston, West Virginia.  

Daugherty faces at least 5 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on September 23, 2015.

The investigation was conducted by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution.

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.