Bryan Patrick, 30, of Ironton, Ohio, is headed to federal prison for eight years after being caught with methamphetamine, loaded firearms, and drug distribution tools in Huntington, West Virginia. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers, follows Patrick’s guilty plea to possessing meth with intent to distribute and using firearms during a drug trafficking crime.
On September 26, 2018, Huntington Police responded to Spring Hill Cemetery and found Patrick slumped in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. He admitted to officers that he had used heroin and passed out. A search revealed two loaded guns: a Walther PP22 semi-automatic pistol with a round chambered and a Kel-Tec 9mm. Both were within reach, primed for violence.
Inside Patrick’s pockets, officers recovered two packages of methamphetamine—8.22 grams and 56.76 grams—totaling nearly two ounces. A set of digital scales was found in the vehicle, clear indicators of intent to distribute. Patrick admitted he carried the firearms for protection while dealing drugs, sealing his fate under federal sentencing laws.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart, who oversaw the case, made no apologies for the stiff penalty. “Eight years in prison for yet another drug dealer with a gun,” Stuart said. “We are prosecuting record and historic numbers of drug and gun defendants to keep our children, our families and our communities safe.”
The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica D. Coleman led the prosecution, leveraging federal statutes that mandate harsh penalties for armed drug traffickers.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the DOJ’s signature initiative to combat violent crime. PSN focuses enforcement on the most dangerous offenders while coordinating with local prevention and reentry programs. In Patrick’s case, the message is clear: deal drugs, pack heat, and the federal system will lock you up for years.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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