Austin Joseph Griffith, Methamphetamine Distribution, West Virginia 2021

Austin Joseph Griffith, a 22-year-old from Hernshaw, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to a federal drug crime in a Charleston court.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Griffith sold approximately 560 grams of methamphetamine for $4,000 to a confidential informant at his Hernshaw residence on December 13, 2021.

The sale of 560 grams of methamphetamine is considered a significant amount, as it exceeds the 50-gram threshold that triggers a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Griffith's guilty plea comes after an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the DEA in a statement.

Griffith is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine if convicted as charged.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.

Griffith's guilty plea marks a significant development in the case, which has been ongoing since the sale of the methamphetamine was discovered in December 2021.

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. 2:22-cr-147.

Austin Joseph Griffith's case is a stark reminder of the dangers of methamphetamine and the importance of combating drug trafficking in West Virginia.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/kanawha-county-man-pleads-guilty-federal-drug-crime-5