Beckley Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Fentanyl Crime
Sunday, September 15, 2024, 9:15 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BECKLEY, W.VA.- On Friday, September 13, 2024, Leon Eugene Smith, 43, of Beckley, West Virginia, appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Frank W. Volk to 13 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for Distribution of Fentanyl; and Violation of Supervised release.
According to documents filed with the court, on December 15, 2023, Smith sold a controlled dangerous substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant in the Lenark area of Raleigh County in West Virginia.
During his guilty plea, Smith admitted to the sale and further admitted to selling fentanyl to the confidential informant on three separate occasions between December 19, 2023, and January 3, 2024, in the Lenark, West Virginia, area.
According To U.S. Attorney
According to U.S. Attorney Will Thompson, following the January 3, 2024, controlled buy, law enforcement officers obtained and executed a court-authorized search warrant at Smith’s residence on January 8, 2024. During the search, Investigators found fentanyl, marijuana, a pill bottle containing oxycodone, a second pill bottle containing black tar heroin, three cell phones, a security system, $1,170 in cash, scales, money counters, and various other items of drug paraphernalia.
Police Officers and Investigators also located in the residence six long guns, two pistols, a 50-round ammunition drum magazine, a 30-round ammunition drum magazine, two 30-round rifle magazines, and assorted ammunition. Smith further admitted to possessing firearms, magazines, and ammunition. Smith further admitted during his plea hearing that the drug paraphernalia items that were seized were for the use in the packaging and sale of fentanyl and heroin.
Smith Serving Supervised Release
When these offenses occurred, Smith was serving a term of federal supervised release for a prior conviction. Friday’s sentence includes a 10-month term for committing a crime while on supervised release.
