BECKLEY, W.Va. – Another dealer off the streets, and another win – however small – in a losing war. Justin Wade Bradley, 24, of Alderson, West Virginia, admitted today to peddling poison in the Mountain State, pleading guilty to federal charges of distribution of oxymorphone. The feds say Bradley’s actions fueled the opioid crisis gripping communities across the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents, Bradley willingly sold oxymorphone to a confidential informant on October 21, 2016, in Ronceverte. This wasn’t a one-time deal; authorities allege Bradley was a consistent supplier, pushing approximately 75 oxymorphone pills onto the streets between the summer of 2016 and November of the same year. The Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force built the case, painstakingly documenting the transactions that led to Bradley’s downfall.
The bust is part of the larger Greenbrier Valley Heroin and Pill Initiative, a program spearheaded by United States Attorney Carol Casto’s office. It’s a familiar refrain: a concerted effort to combat the relentless flow of prescription drugs and heroin that has devastated families and overwhelmed law enforcement. But initiatives, however well-intentioned, don’t bring back the dead or heal the broken. They just…arrest people.
Bradley now faces the very real possibility of spending the next two decades of his life in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for August 2, 2017, before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. While 20 years is the maximum penalty, the final sentence will depend on a variety of factors, including Bradley’s criminal history and the judge’s discretion. But it’s a start.
Assistant United States Attorney John L. File is handling the prosecution, relentlessly pursuing a conviction. The U.S. Attorney’s Office insists it is “committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking.” It’s a promise made countless times, a cycle of arrests and convictions that rarely seems to dent the underlying problem. The question remains: will this case truly make a difference, or is it just another name added to the ever-growing list of casualties in the opioid epidemic?
The Southern District of West Virginia continues to be a hotspot for drug-related crime. Follow Grimy Times for continued coverage of this ongoing crisis. You can also follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Twitter: @SDWVNews.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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