Kennele Groom, Heroin Distribution, West Virginia 2023

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Table of Contents

Philadelphia Man Sentenced for Heroin and Fentanyl Distribution

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to 151 months in prison for distributing heroin and fentanyl in the Mountain State.

Richard Gaines, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of ‘Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl’ in July 2020. The charges stem from his arrest in June 2017 in Berkeley County, where he fled from police during a traffic stop in Martinsburg at a high rate of speed, hitting a tree.

Gaines was not a drug user, but was in Martinsburg solely to sell drugs. As a career offender, he has a previous violent crime conviction and another felony drug conviction. His actions are a stark reminder of the dangers posed by heroin and fentanyl, which have ravaged communities across the country.

The case was investigated by the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police, and the Martinsburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

Gaines’ sentence is a result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative aims to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in ‘hot spot’ areas, thereby reducing drug overdoses and deaths, and identifying wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.

The OCDETF Program uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations threatening the United States. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the case. Gaines will spend the next 12 and a half years behind bars, a consequence of his reckless actions that have put countless lives at risk. As the Grimy Times continues to report on the devastating impact of the opioid crisis, we will remain vigilant in holding accountable those who perpetuate this scourge on our society.