Shawn Lemont McClain Sentenced to Decade for Heroin Trafficking, Wh…

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – In a brutal blow to the drug trade in the Ohio Valley, Shawn Lemont McClain, a 35-year-old Cleveland native, was handed a decade-long sentence yesterday for his role in a heroin trafficking ring. United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced the ten-year prison term for McClain, which marked a significant upward variance from the advisory sentencing guideline range.

McClain, a resident of Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months for operating what the court characterized as a business enterprise that targeted the Ohio Valley. His sentence was emphasized by the court due to his continued drug sales while on pretrial release.

The Mountaineer Highway Interdiction Team stumbled upon McClain in possession of heroin in Ohio County, West Virginia, leading to his plea of guilty to one count of ‘Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin’ in September 2014. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Bernard prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

Presiding over the sentencing was Chief U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey, who oversaw McClain’s punishment for his role in fueling the heroin epidemic in the region.

This sentence comes as a stark reminder of the severity of drug trafficking offenses and the ongoing efforts to combat the drug crisis in West Virginia and beyond.