West Virginia Narcotics Ring Hits the Irons

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – In a stunning move against the drug trade in West Virginia, five individuals have been hit with heavy charges after a federal grand jury indicted them on various narcotics and firearms violations. Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen broke the news.

Richard Star Haggarty, 37, of Albright, faces two counts of ‘Unlawful Possession of Firearm’ and one count of ‘Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.’ He’s looking at a decade behind bars for each firearm charge and double that for the meth – totaling $1 million in fines.

Chad Aric Berry, 29, from Ranson, has been charged with ‘Unlawful Possession of a Firearm,’ carrying a maximum sentence of ten years and a fine of up to $250,000.

Gregory Keith Clinton, 56, of Kearneysville, is accused under the ‘Armed Career Criminal Act,’ which could land him up to fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Kelvin Johnson, 24, from Baltimore, Maryland, stands charged with ‘Distribution of Heroin’ and ‘Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Heroin.’ If convicted, he faces up to twenty years in prison and a million-dollar fine. His co-defendant, Sykebia Stewart, 23, of Dundalk, Maryland, is also accused of aiding in heroin distribution, with similar penalties.

The federal sentencing guidelines will determine the actual sentences based on the severity of the offenses and each defendant’s criminal history. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Warner is leading the prosecution against Haggarty, while Shawn M. Adkins is handling Berry’s case. Anna Z. Krasinski is the lead attorney for Clinton, Johnson, and Stewart. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is involved in all cases, with other local agencies assisting.

Remember, an indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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