Charleston Man Gets Lifelong Sentence for Methamphetamine Distribution

A 26-year-old Charleston man is headed to prison for the rest of his life after pleading guilty to distributing massive quantities of methamphetamine. Chidi Anthony Okafor, 26, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 31, 2022, Okafor sold approximately 338.3 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Charleston. The massive sale marked a significant blow to the region’s efforts to combat the growing methamphetamine epidemic.

Okafor is scheduled to be sentenced on September 11, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the hearing.

Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon and Ryan A. Keefe are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-75.

The sentencing of Okafor marks a significant victory in the ongoing war against methamphetamine distribution in Charleston. The city and surrounding areas have been plagued by the drug’s devastating effects, and today’s guilty plea brings hope to those affected by the crisis.