Federal court reports

Mar. 6—Mercer County man sentenced to prison for fentanyl crime

bluefield, w.va. — Jermaine Antwon Jones, 34, of Bluefield, was sentenced Monday to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.

According to court records, Jones sold a quantity of fentanyl on Jan. 11, 2022, to a confidential informant in Bluefield. Jones admitted to selling the fentanyl as well as quantities of fentanyl and cocaine to the same confidential informant on two other occasions in Mercer County around the same time.

On Jan. 19, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jones' residence and found approximately 15 grams of fentanyl and 7.94 grams of cocaine. Jones admitted that he planned to distribute the controlled substances.

Jones was previously convicted of distributing cocaine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on Oct. 4, 2018. Jones was sentenced Monday to two years in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release for that conviction, to run concurrently with Monday's five-year, 10-month sentence.

----Two men sentenced for Mercer County arson scheme

bluefield, w.va. — Scott Meadows, 53, of Welch, and Christopher Gross, 45, of Bluefield, Va., were sentenced Monday to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud. Each admitted to a role in an arson fraud scheme and was also ordered to pay $13,140 in restitution.

According to court records, co-defendant Douglas Vineyard bought a house on Princeton Avenue in Bluefield on July 1, 2019, for $5,000 at the direction of Gross. On July 31, 2019, Vineyard bought an insurance policy on the house with assistance from Gross, stating that the house's purchase price had been $50,000. The insurance coverage included $285,500 for the dwelling, $142,750 for the contents and $14,275 for other structures.

In early August 2019, Vineyard, Gross and Meadows devised a scheme with others to burn down the house and collect the insurance proceeds. On Aug. 6, 2019, Meadows set fire to the house with the help of two other individuals who were each offered $500 for their assistance. The house was a total loss. On Aug. 16, 2019, Vineyard faxed a sworn statement of proof of loss seeking $285,500 in insurance proceeds for the house. The insurance company spent over $13,000 investigating Vineyard's false claim, ultimately denying it.

Vineyard, 37, of Welch, was sentenced on Sept. 12, 2022, to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud.

----Charleston man pleads guilty to methamphetamine conspiracy

charleston, w.va. — Larry Wayne Legg, 55, of Charleston, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court records, Legg admitted to obtaining quantities of methamphetamine from co-defendant Justin Allen Bowen over several months prior to Dec. 5, 2022.

Legg sold methamphetamine with co-defendant Kimberly Dawn Legg out of their Lotus Drive residence in Charleston. Larry Wayne Legg would typically weigh the methamphetamine for individual sales, and Kimberly Dawn Legg would handle the money. The two shared a cell phone to arrange obtaining additional quantities of methamphetamine from Bowen.

On Dec. 5, 2022, law enforcement officers searched the Lotus Drive residence and found approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine. Larry Wayne Legg admitted to receiving the methamphetamine from Bowen and further admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine with Kimberly Dawn Legg.

Larry Wayne Legg is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Bowen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on Feb. 23, 2023. Bowen and Larry Wayne Legg were indicted along with Kimberly Dawn Legg, Jasper Wemh, Richard Allen Bowen, McKenzie Bowen, Nicholas Bradford Confere, and Stanley Aaron Burkes. The remaining defendants are scheduled for trial on April 25.

----Drug and gun crimes net 12 years for Huntington man

huntington, w.va. — Kilan Nicks, also known as "Low," 26, of Huntington, was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court records, Nicks sold approximately 4 grams of fentanyl and 29 grams of methamphetamine on May 6, 2022, to a confidential informant at a Roby Road apartment in Huntington.

On June 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a McVeigh Avenue residence in Huntington while Nicks was present. Nicks admitted to possessing a Taurus 9mm pistol and approximately $3,635 found during the search. Nicks further admitted that the firearm was for his protection and the cash was proceeds from his distribution of drugs.

Nicks conspired with other individuals to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area from February 2022 until around June 2022. Nicks traveled to California and Arizona and acquired methamphetamine and fentanyl that he transported back to the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution as part of the conspiracy.

Nicks maintained the Roby Road apartment and an 18th Street residence to store and distribute the drugs. Nicks further admitted to selling a total of 37.5 grams of fentanyl and 200 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the Huntington area over 10 separate transactions during the conspiracy.

On June 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the 18th Street residence and a residence in Chesapeake, Ohio. Nicks admitted to possessing 690.71 grams of fentanyl and a Radical Firearms, M4 5.56mm rifle seized at the 18th Street residence, and to possessing a Masterpiece Arms, Defender 9mm pistol, and a blender containing fentanyl residue seized at the Chesapeake residence.

----Huntington woman heads to prison on fentanyl conviction

huntington, w.va. — Courtney Michelle McComas, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced Monday to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.

According to court records, McComas sold approximately 1.63 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in a vehicle at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Richmond Street in Huntington.

McComas admitted to that transaction and also admitted to selling approximately 2 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant on Nov. 16, 2021, in Huntington.

On Nov. 19, 2021, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at an Oney Avenue residence and of a vehicle in Huntington. McComas admitted to possessing the approximately 41 grams of fentanyl found by officers during the searches and that she intended to distribute the drug.

----Ohio man faces mandatory 10 years on meth conviction

huntington, w.va. — Quashane R. Varner Jr., 27, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty Monday to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court records, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Dec. 17, 2021, at a 12th Street apartment in Huntington where Varner was residing and found 362 grams of methamphetamine and a Glock, Model 29, 10mm pistol. Varner admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and the firearm and further admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine.

Varner told investigators on the day of the search that he had previously obtained a 1-pound quantity of methamphetamine, and the amount seized during the search represented what he had not yet sold. Varner further admitted to investigators that he had been selling fentanyl in the Huntington area.

Varner is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20 and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.