Southern District of West Virginia

Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Joshua Matthews, age 32, of Charleston, plead guilty today in federal court to distribution of heroin. Matthews admitted that on August 19, 2014, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit in exchange for $105.00. The drug deal took place on Capitol Street in downtown Charleston. Matthews faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000.00 fine when he is sentenced on July 29, 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 and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

The case was investigated by the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney John Frail.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -  A 58-year old Kanawha County man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty today to possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Ronnie Eugene Naylor, of Elkview, West Virginia, entered a guilty plea before District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

Naylor admitted that he possessed over 600 images and videos of minors engaged in sexual acts.   Many of the images and videos depict prepubescent minors.  The images and videos were located on his personal computer which was kept in his home.  The investigation revealed that Naylor was using a computer program that allowed him to download, receive and distribute child pornography to and from others. U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said, “We are committed to the fight against criminals like Ronnie Eugene Naylor who contribute to the exploitation and abuse of children.  We will use every available tool to track them down and prosecute them to the fullest extent allowed by law.”

The court scheduled sentencing for Naylor for August 5, 2015, in Charleston, West Virginia.

The West Virginia State Police  and the West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.  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.

Bluefield, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that two drug dealers appeared in federal court in Bluefield, West Virginia.  Shawn Owen Gillespie II, 25, of Shady Spring, West Virginia was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin.  Gillespie pled guilty on December 3, 2014, admitting that on May 12, 2014, he possessed more than 400 pouches of heroin, which he intended to sell.  Gillespie possessed the heroin in Princeton, West Virginia.  Adrian Dewayne King, also known as “Fled,” 38, of Bluefield, West Virginia, pled guilty to using a communication facility to facilitate a felony.  King admitted that on January 21, 2015, he had a telephone conversation with a confidential informant (CI) to set up a drug deal. A few minutes after the telephone conversation, King met the CI as planned, and sold hydromorphone to the CI.  The phone call and drug deal took place in Bluefield, West Virginia. King faces up to four years in prison and a $250, 000 fine when he is sentenced on August 13, 2015.

These cases were investigated by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force as part of 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 handled the prosecutions of Gillespie and King.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Bryan Cross, 31, of Beckley, West Virginia, plead guilty yesterday in federal court in Beckley to distributing cocaine.  Cross admitted that on September 23, 2014, he sold cocaine to a person who was cooperating with law enforcement authorities.  The drug deal took place on Canterbury Drive in Beckley, West Virginia.

Cross faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.  United States District Judge Irene C. Berger scheduled the sentencing for August 12, 2015.

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

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 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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that his office has established a new website to provide information to potential victims of the January 9, 2014, Freedom Industries’ chemical spill.  The website is located at http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/chemical-spill. The site may also be accessed from www.justice.gov/largecases.

In accordance with the Crime Victims’ Rights Act and the Attorney General’s Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance, the site will provide information to potential victims of the chemical spill. The information on the site will include links to all documents charging the defendants with crimes, dates and times of upcoming public criminal proceedings, and a listing of resources available to those who believe they may have been harmed by the chemical spill.

Anyone who believes that they are a victim of the chemical spill and wishes to receive notice of future developments in the criminal cases related to the spill, submit written information concerning the impact the alleged crimes have had on them, or attend the criminal court proceedings, should visit the website above or contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and ask to speak with the Victim-Witness Coordinator.  The local number for the United States Attorney’s office is (304) 345-2200, and the toll-free number is (800) 659-8726.

Pending charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that John Lee Jenkins, 51, of Beckley, West Virginia, plead guilty in federal court in Beckley to distributing heroin.  Jenkins admitted that on November 11, 2014, he sold heroin to a person who was cooperating with law enforcement authorities.  The drug deal took place on Stanaford Road in Beckley, West Virginia.

Jenkins faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.  United States District Judge Irene C. Berger scheduled the sentencing for August 12, 2015.

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

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 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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former Charleston resident who illegally possessed a firearm on November 30, 2012, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Blaine Jerome Ivery, 32, previously pleaded guilty in November of 2014 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At approximately 3 a.m. on November 30, 2012, members of the Charleston Police Department were parked outside of the Impulse night club on Capitol Street in downtown Charleston when they heard what they believed to be a gunshot.  Officers then watched Ivery run a red light in a car near the area where the gunfire sounded.  When officers stopped the car, Ivery tossed a loaded Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic from the passenger side of the car onto the sidewalk.  Ivery was alone in the car. A spent 9 mm shell casing was also recovered from inside the vehicle.  Ivery had previously been convicted in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia, in 2010 of wanton endangerment with a firearm.

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

The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a commitment of U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s office and other officials nationwide 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 Vallas Paul Bell, 31, of Hurricane, West Virginia, received five years of probation today for stealing more than $24,000 of his mother’s Social Security Benefits after her death.  The Social Security payments for Bell’s mother were deposited in her checking account at City National Bank.  For over a year and a half after her death, Bell used a debit card to withdraw money from his mother’s account and spend it on himself. As part of his sentence, Judge Thomas Johnston ordered Bell to make full restitution to the Social Security Administration.

The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorneys Blair L. Malkin and Erik S. Goes were responsible for the prosecution.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man who distributed heroin in May of 2014 was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Thomas Edward Hill, 41, previously pleaded guilty in January of 2015 to distributing heroin.

On May 21, 2014, officers using a confidential informant (CI), arranged a drug deal with Clarence Edward House II, also known as “Nitty.”  The informant contacted House and negotiated the purchase of 7.5 grams of heroin in exchange for $800.  Thereafter, House and Hill met with the CI in House’s vehicle where Hill distributed the heroin to the CI at House’s direction.

The 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.

Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that David Brandon Ball, 35, of  Charleston pled guilty in federal court today to his role in defrauding timeshare owners throughout the United States and Canada.  Ball admitted that he and his associate, David Andrew Glynn, formed Mountain State Resales, LLC (MSR) a bogus company used to defraud timeshare owners of money. Ball and his associates advised timeshare owners that MSR had a buyer for their timeshares, and asked them to front money to MSR in South Charleston, to cover fees and expenses necessary to facilitate the sales.  MSR had no buyers for the timeshares and Ball knew that the timeshare owners would not receive anything in return for money sent to MSR.

Ball and his associates, including Glynn, also posed as “agents” and contacted timeshare owners who previously lost money in other timeshare fraud schemes and represented that they were affiliated with a non-existent organization named “Internal Revenue Recovery Associates” and were investigating timeshare fraud schemes.  Ball admitted that he and his coconspirators told the timeshare owners to send money to MSR to assist “agents” in recovering the lost funds.

At his plea hearing, Ball admitted that neither MSR nor Internal Recovery Associates were legitimate businesses and were used to defraud timeshare owners.  Ball also 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), that like MSR, was created and used to defraud timeshare owners of more than $145,000.

Ball has agreed to pay restitution to the victims of both MSR and International Transfers. Ball is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2015.  Glynn has already pled guilty and been sentenced for his role in the offense.

Today’s plea 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.

Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Nicolas Dale Pierce, 32, of Covington, Georgia, and Eric James Nelson, 27, of Conyers, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine.

On February 10, 2015, officers with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) received information that Nelson and Pierce had brought large quantities of methamphetamine from Georgia to Elkview, West Virginia. Officers attempted to stop Pierce near the LaQuinta Inn in Elkview, but before officers were able to reach the car, Pierce sped away hitting several vehicles. Officers eventually found Pierce behind the nearby Crossings Mall.  Pierce rammed two police cars with his car, and then fled on foot. One of the police cars was a total loss due to the impact. When police finally caught up with Pierce, they found him in possession of approximately $2,900 in cash, part of which was prerecorded buy money used during a controlled drug deal earlier in the day. Police also located a loaded gun that Pierce had thrown from his car.

Officers also apprehended Nelson near the LaQuinta Inn.  Nelson had approximately 150 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun in his possession.

Nelson and Pierce admitted that they were working together to sell methamphetamine in and around Kanawha County.

Nelson and Pierce face up to 40 years in federal prison when sentenced on July 29, 2015.  United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. is presiding over the cases.

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation with the assistance of Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is in charge of the prosecution.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman who sold heroin on multiple occasions in 2014 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Sunshine Renae Midkiff, 24, entered a guilty plea to distributing heroin before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

On October 16, 2014, Midkiff met an informant working with the FBI Drug Task Force in the 2200 block of Artisan Avenue in Huntington and distributed heroin to the informant in exchange for $180.  Mount previously sold heroin to an informant in Huntington in September 2014.

Midkiff faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2015.

The FBI Drug Task Force 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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man who illegally sold oxycodone pills in 2013 and 2014 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Clinton Mack Mount, 37, entered a guilty plea to distributing oxycodone before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

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

Mount faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2015.

The Drug Enforcement Administration 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.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Beckley man was sentenced in federal court in Huntington on a federal drug charge. Michael Greer, 30, of Beckley, was sentenced as a career offender to a 120-month term of imprisonment, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.  Greer previously pled guilty in December of 2014, to distributing heroin to a person cooperating with law enforcement authorities.  The drug deal took place on Brooks Street in Beckley.  The sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert C. Chambers.

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.

Bluefield, W.Va. -  A 19-year old Mercer County man, Joshua Dwayne Poff, was sentenced today to six years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Today’s sentence was handed down by Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber in Bluefield.

Poff previously admitted that on January 10, 2014, he possessed pictures of prepubescent minors engaged in sexual acts.  The images were located on his personal computer located in his residence.  Poff also admitted to trading video files containing child pornography via the Internet to another person who had a Google email account.  U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said, “We are committed to the fight against criminals like Joshua Dwayne Poff who contribute to the exploitation and abuse of children.  We will use every available tool to track them down and prosecute them to the fullest extent allowed by law.”

The West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation.  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.

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a 50-year old Mercer County man, Charles Edward Lawrence, was sentenced today to six and half years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Today’s sentence was handed down by Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber in Bluefield.

Lawrence previously admitted that on October 10, 2013, he possessed videos depicting prepubescent minors having sex or performing sexual acts.  The investigation revealed that Lawrence kept the videos of the children on a USB flash drive discovered during the execution of a search warrant at his home.

“We will not tolerate child exploitation in our communities.  Folks who engage in this kind of deviant behavior are on notice that we will use every available law enforcement tool to identify and prosecute them,” Goodwin said.

The West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston was 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.

Center will serve as a statewide clearinghouse for information, resources, training and technical assistance

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin, and West Virginia State Police Colonel Jay Smithers, and other state and local officials, along with school, law enforcement, and child advocacy and mental health professionals, came together today to unveil the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice.  The Center, a collaborative effort between Goodwin’s office, West Virginia State Police and West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Children and Families, will serve as a statewide clearinghouse for information, resources, training and technical assistance.

The Center, located at the West Virginia State Police Professional Development Center in Dunbar, West Virginia, will house the West Virginia Defending Childhood Initiative Task Force (Handle With Care), West Virginia Children’s Justice Task Force, and the West Virginia Drug Endangered Children’s Task Force. All three task forces are charged with improving the investigation, prosecution and judicial handling of child abuse and neglect cases, strengthening prevention and intervention efforts, and promoting school-community partnerships aimed at ensuring that children who are exposed to trauma in their home, school or community receive appropriate interventions to help them achieve academically at their highest levels despite whatever traumatic circumstances they may have endured.  

“I’m proud of the continued collaboration by our state’s law enforcement, Department of Health and Human Resources and educators to provide at-risk children with the support they need to heal, thrive and achieve long-term success in West Virginia,” Gov. Tomblin said. “I’m confident the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice—through its partnership with schools and communities across the state—will play a significant role in expanding prevention and intervention services to ensure a promising future for our kids now and for years to come.”

The Center will promote safe and supportive homes, schools and communities that protect children, and help traumatized children heal and thrive.  “This Center will improve communication and collaboration between law enforcement, prosecutors, schools, advocates and mental health providers, and help connect families, schools and communities to mental health services. We can no longer work in our silos focused on one piece of a child’s life puzzle.  We must work together to make systemic improvements that can truly change the trajectory of a child’s path,” stated Goodwin.

Colonel Jay Smithers commented, “Child abuse is a community problem. No single agency can intervene effectively -- it takes a team.  As law enforcement, we can play a crucial role in helping to link child victims to essential services and counseling. The West Virginia State Police is proud to house the Center for Children's Justice which will strengthen the multidisciplinary team response to child victims across the state.”

For more information about the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice, visit www.handlewithcarewv.org.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin, West Virginia State Police Colonel Jay Smithers, and other state leaders, along with school, law enforcement, child advocacy and mental health professionals will come together at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, 2015, to unveil a statewide initiative to address child maltreatment and children’s exposure to trauma.

EVENT INFORMATION:    

WHO:  Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin and WVSP Colonel Jay Smithers

WHAT:  Unveiling of a statewide initiative to benefit children

WHEN:  2:00 p.m., Tuesday March 31

WHERE:  West Virginia State Police Professional Development Center, 123 Academy Drive, Dunbar, WV 25064

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Bonita Witt-Hird, 60, of Thorpe (McDowell County), West Virginia, was sentenced today to one year and one day in federal prison for filing fraudulent water quality reports.

Witt-Hird was formerly employed as the office manager for Richmorr Associates, Inc., an environmental engineering firm in Elkview, West Virginia.  Richmorr provides water sampling services to wastewater treatment plants throughout West Virginia.  Wastewater plants are required by state and federal law to sample wastewater discharges.  The results are submitted to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP).  WVDEP reviews the results to ensure compliance with water quality standards.  In the event of non-compliance, WVDEP may levy fines or, in extreme cases, shut down the wastewater treatment plant.

In November of 2015, Witt-Hird pleaded guilty admitting that from April of 2012 to June of 2013, she filed approximately 80 false reports with the WVDEP.  The false reports made it appear that current water quality sampling had been performed for the wastewater plants when, in fact, the test results had been copied from previous years.

Witt-Hird previously plead guilty in September of 2013 to obstructing an IRS investigation and served a one year sentence imposed for that offense.

The wastewater investigation was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, the WVDEP and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Erik  S. Goes was responsible for the prosecution.

Huntington, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Kentucky man was indicted on March 25, 2015, by a federal grand jury sitting in Charleston for allegedly defrauding  the U.S. Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Disability Compensation Program.  The indictment charges Phillip M. Henderson, 50, of Olive Hill, Kentucky with fraudulently receiving approximately $800,000 in compensation and other benefits, including funds for the installation of a swimming pool and a vehicle, from March 17, 1995 to February 27, 2015.  The indictment includes nine counts of wire fraud, which reflect payments from the VA to Henderson.

Each count carries a statutory maximum of 30 years and a $1,000,000 fine upon conviction.

The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Office of Inspector General, is conducting the investigation, assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Eumi L. Choi is in charge of the prosecution.

A copy of the indictment is linked below Henderson Indictment.

Note:  The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Charleston, W.Va. –  United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a 39-year old man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury sitting in Charleston for filing multiple false claims with the Internal Revenue Service.  According to the 12-count indictment, Michael D. Jarrell, formerly of Boone County, West Virginia, filed fraudulent Individual Income Tax Return Forms for tax years 2009 – 2011, in which he claimed refunds in the names of individuals for whom he was not authorized to file.  Further, as alleged in the indictment, these tax forms contained false information about the residences, employment, bank accounts and income for these individuals, as well as false withholdings.  The false refunds totaled over $57,000.

Each count carries a statutory maximum of up to five years’ imprisonment upon conviction.

The investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service under its stolen identity refund fraud initiative.  Assistant United States Attorney Eumi L. Choi is in charge of the prosecution.

A copy of the indictment is linked below.

Note:  the charges contained in the indictment are merely accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Carl Taylor, 64, and Patsy Taylor, 52, of Charleston pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of a firearm.  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.

The Taylors face up to 10 years in federal prison when they are sentenced on July 9, 2015.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn 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. This case is also 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 two men pled guilty in federal court in Beckley before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.  Harry Franklin Huffman II, 25, of Lewisburg, pled guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug felony, admitting that on September 23, 2014, in Lewisburg, he had a telephone conversation with a confidential informant  to help set up a drug deal.  Shortly after the telephone conversation, Huffman sold heroin to the informant. 

Kip Aaron Sears, 26, from the Lewisburg area, also pled guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug felony.  Sears admitted that on September 30, 2014, in Lewisburg, he used a telephone to help arrange a drug deal.  After the telephone conversation, Sears sold heroin to an informant.

Both Huffman and Sears face up to four years and a $250,000 fine when they are sentenced on July 8, 2015.

These cases were investigated by the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.  They are part of the Greenbrier Valley Heroin and Pill Initiative, in furtherance 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 William Leon Sales, 37, of Dunbar, West Virginia was sentenced by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., to 46 months in prison for a federal drug offense.

On July 16, 2014, officers with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team found about 75 grams of heroin and $4000 in cash in Sales’ home in Dunbar.  Sales admitted that he intended to distribute the heroin in the Dunbar area.  On July 1, 2014, Sales also provided a gram of heroin to a middleman who sold it to a confidential informant for $150.  At the time, Sales told the informant that he had another half-ounce of heroin at home if the informant wanted more.

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald was responsible for 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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that James Darnell Walker, 31, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin.  Walker admitted that he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement in Charleston on September 23, September 30, and October 11, 2014.  On September 1, 2014, Walker was also found to have 600 individual packages of heroin in his possession that he intended to distribute.

United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the plea hearing.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 24, 2015.

The Charleston Police Department and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald 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 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.

Defendant swindled victims out of more than $220,000

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Point Pleasant man was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for an investment fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. Mark Anthony, 40, who pleaded guilty last November to one count of mail fraud in connection with the scheme, also was ordered to repay more than $220,000 that he stole from his victims, including two elderly widows.

Anthony previously admitted that over a span of nearly 10 years, he deceived an elderly Point Pleasant couple into believing that he was a licensed investment representative who would invest their money in high-yielding annuities and money-market accounts. In all, the couple gave him more than $200,000 of their savings to invest, with the wife continuing to give Anthony money for supposed investments after her husband passed away. Instead of investing the money, Anthony stole it, spending the couple’s nest egg to buy things for himself and pay personal expenses. Occasionally, Anthony mailed the couple a small check that he pretended was a return on their investments. These checks were actually money from other sources, which Anthony sent to make his victims believe their so-called investments were producing legitimate returns. Anthony also mailed the couple fake tax forms that pretended to show their income from investments Anthony had made for them.

Anthony also defrauded at least three other victims as part of the same scheme.

“Protecting West Virginia’s senior citizens from scams like this has been a priority for me from day one,” said U.S. Attorney Goodwin. “This case is a reminder to stay vigilant. There are plenty more scammers out there like this defendant, who may seem trustworthy but are really out to separate people from their hard-earned savings. Always be wary of a deal that seems too good to be true.”

U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s website provides information for seniors to avoid becoming victims of fraud and other crimes: http://www.justice.gov/usao/wvs/Safe-senior-brochure.pdf.

Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.

The West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case. Counsel to the United States Attorney Steve Ruby and Assistant United States Attorney Gabriele Wohl handled the prosecution.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Michigan man who sold heroin in the Huntington area, was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Clarence Edward House II, also known as “Nitty,” 44, previously pleaded guilty in December of 2014 to aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin.  House admitted that he had arranged for the sale of $800 worth of heroin from a drug dealer to a confidential informant working with law enforcement.  Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers handed down the sentence.

The 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.

Charleston, W.Va. – Freedom Industries pleaded guilty in federal court today in Charleston to three environmental crimes in connection with the January 2014 Elk River chemical spill, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. Freedom, which owned and operated the facility from which the chemical MCHM spilled into the river, pleaded guilty to negligent discharge of a pollutant, the unlawful discharge of refuse, and violating a permit condition. Sentencing of the company is scheduled for June 29, 2015.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigation Division.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a convicted felon from the Washington, D.C. area pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to unlawfully possessing a firearm.  Sean Anthony Nalle, 30, of Washington, D.C.  entered a guilty plea to pawning a semiautomatic pistol at Carl’s Pawn Shop on Dudley Avenue in Parkersburg, West Virginia.  Nalle was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of prior federal drug trafficking convictions in the District of Columbia in 2006 and 2009.

Nalle faces up to ten years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2015.

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

Charleston, W.Va. – Two former Freedom Industries officials, Michael E. Burdette and Robert J. Reynolds, pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston today to environmental crimes in connection with the January 2014 Elk River chemical spill, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. Both men pleaded guilty to negligently discharging MCHM into the Elk River without a permit.  Sentencing is set for June 24, 2015.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division.

Burdette’s and Reynolds’ plea agreements, which include stipulations of facts in which they admit their criminal conduct, are linked below.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Betty Jo Tudor, 35, of Alkol, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to obtaining hydrocodone by fraud. Tudor, a former nurse at Sweetbriar Assisted Living in Dunbar, West Virginia, admitted that in June of 2013 she stole hydrocodone intended for patients for her own personal use and falsified records to cover up the theft.  

Tudor faces up to 4 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., scheduled the sentencing for June 18, 2015.

The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Department of Health and Human Services.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling 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 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.

Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Billy Roy Myers, 39, of Charleston, West Virginia was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  Myers pled guilty in December of 2014 to escaping from the Dismas Charities Residential Center in St. Albans, West Virginia, a federal residential reentry center, where he had been placed by the United States Bureau of Prisons after his release from prison. Myers had previously been convicted of a federal firearms violation in 2008, and after a term of imprisonment, was serving the remainder of his sentence at the Dismas Center. Myers escaped on May 6, 2014, and was apprehended on the West Side of Charleston by United States Marshals on October 6, 2014.  The sentence imposed on the escape charge will run consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving for the firearms offense.

CHARLESTON, W. Va. -  United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that John E. Swain II, 52, of Charleston, West Virginia was sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas Johnston to three years of probation for impersonating a federal law enforcement officer.  On April 14, 2014, Swain chased a Ford Explorer on I-77, while the passenger in Swain’s car waived a badge that appeared to belong to a United States Marshal.  The driver of the Ford Explorer was an undercover Kanawha County Detective.  When the Detective pulled over at the Greenbrier Street exit, Swain sped away.  The Detective followed Swain and directed him to stop.  When the Detective approached the car, Swain claimed he was a United States Marshal from Richmond, Virginia.  Swain advised that he asked his passenger to waive the badge because the Detective was driving too fast and Swain wanted him to slow down. The Detective contacted the United States Marshal in Richmond and learned that Swain had never been employed with the federal law enforcement agency.  When confronted, Swain admitted that he had lied to avoid arrest for impersonating a federal officer.  Swain claimed that he bought the fake badge on the internet.

The United States Marshal Service and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes was responsible for the prosecution.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a Huntington man who participated in a heroin distribution ring in 2014, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Huntington to a drug charge.  Paul A. Roberts, Jr., 21, entered a guilty plea for providing a residence in Huntington that was used by him and others as base for the distribution of heroin in the community.

From at least October of 2014 to December of 2014,  Roberts and others used a home at 403 Homestead Place, Huntington, to operate their heroin distribution ring. Roberts signed a lease for the property, knowing it would be used as a base to store, package and distribute heroin.

On December 6, 2014, a United States Postal Inspector intercepted a package addressed to Roberts Homestead Place home.  The package contained approximately 230 grams of heroin.  After agents delivered the package, they executed a search warrant and seized heroin, equipment used to package and distribute heroin, more than $6,500 in cash, and four guns.

Roberts faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2015.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation 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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – William E. Tis and Charles E. Herzing, former owners, officers, and directors of Freedom Industries, Inc., pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston today to an environmental crime in connection with the January 2014 Elk River chemical spill, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. Both men pleaded guilty to causing the unlawful discharge of MCHM into the Elk River without a permit. Sentencing is set for June 22, 2015.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division.

Tis and Herzing’s plea agreements, which include stipulations of facts in which they admit their criminal conduct, are linked below.

Huntington, W.VA. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Keith Cornell McKinney, also known as “Tony,” 32, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of heroin.

McKinney admitted that on October 9, 2013, he sold heroin to an informant working for the Huntington Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force.  The transaction occurred at a residence on Rear 30th Street in Huntington.

McKinney who is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2015, faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Barboursville Police Department, Cabell County Sheriff’s Department and the Huntington Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is handling 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.

Defendant participated in string of home-invasion robberies targeting drug dealers

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Joe Croft, 41, of Charleston, was sentenced to 158 months in federal prison following a conviction for carjacking.

On May 21, 2012, Croft, Robert Barcliff, and David Himes carried out an armed home-invasion robbery in South Charleston, West Virginia, of a drug dealer they believed would have high quality marijuana or proceeds from the sale of such marijuana.  Barcliff arranged for a female friend to lure the victim to an apartment. Croft and Himes, dressed in dark clothing, then stormed the apartment at gunpoint to carry out the robbery.  After they zip-tied the victim, Croft stole his car keys, and Croft and Himes fled the apartment. Croft took the victim’s vehicle because the group believed drugs or drug proceeds were located inside the vehicle.

This robbery was just one in a string of robberies committed by Barcliff and his associates. Beginning in the fall of 2011, Barcliff, Keith Glenn, Brandon Davis, Darrell Gillespie, Jamaa Johnson and other individuals conspired and agreed to commit armed home-invasion robberies of drug dealers in several states, including West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Many of the robberies occurred in and around Charleston. The object of the conspiracy and the robberies was to steal drugs---including cocaine, pills, and marijuana---along with drug proceeds and firearms. The group targeted drug dealers because they believed that drug dealers were not likely to call the police if they were robbed.

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston sentenced Croft to 140 months’ imprisonment for the carjacking itself plus an additional 18 months for violating the terms of his supervised release from a prior conviction.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, South Charleston Police Department, and Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is in charge of the prosecution.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Travis Devon Woods, 26, pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston 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. Subsequent to stopping Woods after a brief chase, law enforcement located a loaded Taurus .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol in the alley where Woods fled. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory 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. He faces up to ten years in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 11, 2015.

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston conducted today's plea hearing.

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 is in charge of the prosecution.

The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a commitment of U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s office and other officials nationwide to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.

Rick Grimmett admits to more than $366,000 in structured cash transactions

Charleston, W.va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Russell R. Grimmett, also known as Rick Grimmett, 51, of Man, West Virginia, was sentenced today to five years’ federal probation, including six months of home confinement, for violating federal banking laws.  Grimmett is the former Logan County assessor.  The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

Banks are required by federal law to report all cash transactions in excess of $10,000.  Grimmett admitted that he and an associate withdrew cash from the Logan Bank and Trust in Man, West Virginia, in amounts less than $10,000 to prevent triggering the reporting requirement.  This practice, known as “structuring,” is a federal crime.   Grimmett further admitted that between early 2009 and December 2012, he and his associate structured more than $366,000 in cash from various banks.

As part of his plea agreement, Mr. Grimmett agreed to resign his position as assessor.   He also agreed to forfeit $150,000.

Today’s charge stems from an investigation 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 handling the prosecution.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –  Effective immediately, Michael Shane Arrington, former Public Affairs Specialist for United States Attorney Booth Goodwin’s office, is no longer employed with the office.  Please forward all press inquiries to www.justice.gov/usao/wvs or to Robin Justice at (304)345-2200. 

Defendant caught with more than 300 pills hidden in detergent box

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kendall Lamar Spears, 35, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison after a December 2014 jury conviction on possession with intent to distribute oxymorphone, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today.  In late October 2012, Spears paid a Huntington couple to drive him to Detroit under the pretense of allowing him to visit family.  After they arrived in Detroit,  Spears left the couple for approximately an hour and returned with several bags from a Family Dollar store.  He then went into a back room of the apartment in which the couple was waiting, where, according to trial testimony, Spears remained for approximately one hour before notifying the couple that he was ready to return to Huntington.

While in Detroit, the female who was driving Spears called her mother and told her that she was concerned that Spears was bringing heroin back to Huntington for resale.  The woman’s parents relayed the information to members of the Huntington Police Department, who, along with agents from the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, set up surveillance in anticipation of the group’s return.  When law enforcement saw the van traveling back into Huntington, they stopped it and, with the owner’s permission, searched it. During the search, agents seized 302 oxymorphone pills inside a box of detergent located inside a Family Dollar bag in the seat where Spears had been riding.

Following the discovery of the pills, the couple informed law enforcement that they were unaware of what the package contained.

Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the two-day jury trial and the sentencing hearing.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Chris Curry, 37, of Nellis, Boone County, West Virginia, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today. Curry previously pleaded guilty in December 2014, admitting that he had agreed to receive a package containing methamphetamine for another person. Curry further admitted that he was to have received a small amount of the methamphetamine in exchange for accepting delivery of the package to his residence.

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed today’s sentence.

The successful prosecution of Curry was the result of an investigation by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the West Virginia State Police.

SOPHIA, W.Va. – David Alan Hunt, a 33 year-old Raleigh County man, was sentenced to today to serve four years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin.  The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.

Hunt previously admitted that on March 23, 2012, he possessed approximately 60 images of child pornography, including sexually explicit images of prepubescent minors and minors engaged in sexual acts.  The child pornography was discovered on Hunt’s computers and a computer disc, both of which were located at his home in Sophia, West Virginia.  The investigation also revealed that Hunt received and shared child pornography by using a file sharing network that allows users to download files from computers around the world.   

U.S. Attorney Goodwin stated, “The exploitation of innocent children is a heinous crime.  Child Pornography has a highly destructive impact on the most vulnerable segment of society and my office will work diligently to ensure that individuals like Mr. Hunt are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Johnston handled the prosecution.

This case was prosecuted as part of United States Attorney Goodwin’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Olivia Dixon, 31, of Midway, West Virginia, plead guilty today in federal court in Beckley to obtaining 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.  

Dixon faces up to 4 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  United States District Judge Irene C. Berger scheduled the sentencing for June 24, 2015.

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

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 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.

Charleston,  W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Jennifer McClure, 31, of Chelyan, West Virginia, was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to time served from November 25, 2014 to the present, followed by three years of supervised release.  McClure previously pled guilty in December of 2014, admitting that she sold heroin to a confidential informant working with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department. The drug deal took place at McClure’s home on Firefly Lane in Chelyan.

The case was investigated by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department 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 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 and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

Assistant United States Attorney John Frail is responsible for the prosecution.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Michael Scarberry, 37, was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to 63 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Scarberry, who pleaded guilty late last year, admitted that he sold hydrocodone to an undercover Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (“MDENT”) police officer on several occasions.  Scarberry also admitted that he obtained the hydrocodone pills on trips to Florida and brought them back to Charleston for sale. His uncle Clarence Scarberry, 51, of Charleston, was sentenced earlier this week to 21 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for his role in the same drug conspiracy.

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.  Assistant United States Attorney John Frail is responsible for the prosecution.

Beckley, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Princeton man pled guilty to a drug charge before Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber in federal court in Bluefield.  Lamar Baxter, 39,  pled guilty to using a phone to arrange a drug deal.  Baxter admitted that on November 11, 2014, he used a telephone in Princeton to speak with an informant to arrange a drug deal.  A short time later Baxter sold seven oxycodone pills to the informant.

Baxter faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine when he is sentenced on June 25, 2015.

The case was investigated by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John File 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 drug 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 David Frizzell, 44, of Grove City, Ohio, was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to five years’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Frizzell previously pled guilty in September of 2014, to conspiring with others to sell prescription pills containing hydrocodone.  Frizzell admitted that he arranged and financed multiple trips to Florida where eight or nine people on each trip obtained prescription pills that were later sold in the Charleston area and in Ohio.  The drug ring was responsible for buying and reselling more than 60,000 Lortab pills during the nearly two-year conspiracy.

The successful prosecution of Frizzell and his associates was the result of an investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (“MDENT”).

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 that Clarence Scarberry, 51, of Charleston, was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to 21 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Scarberry pled guilty late last year to the distribution of pills containing hydrocodone.  Scarberry admitted that he sold pills to an undercover police officer.  Scarberry also admitted that he and others had obtained the pills during trips to Florida.

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.  Assistant United States Attorney John Frail is responsible for the prosecution.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a Beckley man was sentenced today in federal court in Beckley for selling heroin.  Robert Meade, 28, was sentenced to three years of probation.  Meade previously pled guilty in November of 2014, admitting that he sold heroin to a person who was cooperating with law enforcement authorities.  The drug deal took place on Laurel Terrace in Beckley.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Court Judge Irene C. Berger.

This case was investigated by the Beckley Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

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.