Meth Man Snyder Faces Decades in Federal Prison

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Dennis Wayne Snyder, 31, of Hurricane, West Virginia, is staring down a lengthy federal prison sentence after admitting to trafficking methamphetamine. Snyder pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a charge that carries a minimum mandatory sentence of five years behind bars, and a maximum of forty.

The bust went down on November 15, 2020, when a West Virginia State Trooper, acting on an outstanding warrant, pulled Snyder over at a Nitro gas station. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 221 grams of methamphetamine stashed where Snyder had been sitting. But it wasn’t just the quantity that sealed his fate. Authorities also found digital scales and plastic bags – the tools of a serious drug dealer.

This wasn’t a spontaneous act. The evidence points to a deliberate operation. Snyder’s guilty plea acknowledges his intent to peddle the highly addictive drug, contributing to the misery and destruction it leaves in its wake. Sentencing is scheduled for February 28, 2022, before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers, leaving Snyder with little time to prepare for the consequences.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson announced the guilty plea, praising the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) spearheaded the investigation, supported by the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. That task force is a multi-agency coalition comprised of officers from the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department.

But the reach extended far beyond that. The West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West all provided crucial investigative support. Even out-of-state agencies chipped in: the Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and FBI/DEA offices in Columbus, Ohio, all contributed to dismantling Snyder’s operation. This case underscores the broad network needed to combat drug trafficking.

This prosecution is part of a larger Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, a program designed to dismantle the highest-level drug trafficking organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney L. Cremeans and Joseph F. Adams are prosecuting the case. Details and court documents can be found on PACER under Case No. 3:21-cr-00109, or on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia. Snyder’s fate is all but sealed, a grim reminder that dealing death carries a heavy price.

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