Federal court reports
Dec. 19—Putnam County man gets
prison term for dealing in fentanyl
charleston, w.va. — Gregory Alan Haston II, 40, of Scott Depot, was sentenced Monday to three years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court records, Haston was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a law enforcement officer on Jan. 2, 2023, in the St. Albans area. During a search of the vehicle, the officer seized a bag that he found on the floor near Haston's feet. Haston admitted that the bag contained approximately 76 grams of fentanyl, which he possessed with the intent to distribute.
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Charleston man dealt 11-year
prison sentence for selling meth
charleston, w.va. — Jonathon Dewayne Eads, 37, of Charleston, was sentenced Monday to 11 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court records, Eads sold approximately 227 grams of methamphetamine for $1,500 on Oct. 7, 2022, to a confidential informant at a Garrison Avenue residence in Charleston.
Eads and his co-defendant sold approximately 392 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Charleston on three dates — June 14, Aug. 21 and Oct. 7 — in 2022.
Eads' criminal history includes multiple prior convictions.
In Kanawha County Magistrate Court, Eads was convicted of conspiracy and operating a clandestine drug lab on Jan. 24, 2007, possession of a controlled substance on March 31, 2011, and possession of a controlled substance on April 4, 2013. In Kanawha County Circuit Court, Eads was convicted of fleeing on April 22, 2015, and of two counts of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and one count of person prohibited from possessing firearms on June 3, 2019.
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Huntington man faces mandatory
five years for drug, gun crimes
huntington, w.va. — Thomas Donnell Shaw, 30, of Huntington, pleaded guilty Monday to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court records, Shaw was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by a law enforcement officer on March 4, 2021, resulting in a search of the vehicle.
During the search, officers found a FNH model FNS-40 .40-caliber pistol and a quantity of methamphetamine.
Shaw admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent of distributing it within the Southern District of West Virginia. Shaw further admitted that he possessed the firearm in part to protect himself, the drugs and his drug proceeds.
Shaw is scheduled to be sentenced on April 1, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
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63-year-old woman gets
7-plus years for federal drug crime
huntington, w.va. — Valerie June Damron, 63, of Huntington, was sentenced Monday to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court records, Damron sold approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine on Oct. 11, 2022, to a confidential informant at her Seventh Avenue residence. Damron admitted to that transaction and to selling quantities of methamphetamine totaling approximately 69 grams on three occasions between Oct. 14 and Oct. 19, 2022.
Damron further admitted that the quantities of fentanyl were mixed in with the methamphetamine sold in two of those additional transactions.
On Oct. 20, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Damron's residence and seized approximately 122 grams of methamphetamine, 20.5 grams of fentanyl and multiple firearms including a Davis Industries .22-caliber pistol, a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, and a FT 9mm pistol. Damron admitted that she intended to distribute the controlled substances.
On Feb. 2, investigators arrested Damron at her residence and seized approximately 211 grams of methamphetamine, 3.5 grams of fentanyl and a Kel-Tex .380-caliber pistol. Damron told the investigators that she had been previously supplied with 2 to 3 pounds of methamphetamine on multiple occasions by another individual.
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Felon gets 12 years for violating supervised release, possessing gun
huntington, w.va. — Thomas Ray III, 54, of Huntington, was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating his supervised release.
A federal jury found Ray guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm on July 12 following a two-day trial. Evidence at trial showed that on Oct. 23, 2020, Ray possessed a firearm that he discharged multiple times, including at law enforcement officers, during and after a domestic disturbance in the area of 17th Street and Artisan Avenue in Huntington.
Ray had arrived at an Artisan Avenue residence where he struck two women, brandished a firearm, pointed it at the forehead of a third woman and fired two rounds into the air. Officers responding to the resulting 911 calls located Ray in an alley several blocks from Artisan Avenue. Ray fired a round at one officer and continued to flee. Ray fired several more shots at officers while fleeing before they returned fire and wounded him in the leg.
Ray was still holding the firearm while on the ground and resisted being placed into custody. Officers recovered the firearm, a loaded Smith & Wesson Model M&P Shield .40-caliber pistol. Officers also found .40-caliber ammunition and a Harrington and Richardson revolver in Ray's pants pockets.
Ray was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for Forcible Detention/Armed and Give False Bomb/Gas Alarm in Will County, Illinois, Circuit Court on Feb. 28, 2012, and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on Dec. 9, 2013.
At the time of this offense, Ray was serving a term of federal supervised release for the 2013 conviction. Monday's prison sentence includes two years for committing a crime while on supervised release.
