Carrying 5+ Grams of Meth, NC Man Faces 40 Years

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Keith Deshon Adams, 39, of Statesville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 7, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Adams was a passenger in Oak Hill. Adams was asked to exit the vehicle and stand at the front of an officer’s cruiser, but he tried to flee on foot.

An officer deployed a taser to stop Adams, who was struggling to break free. While being restrained, Adams opened a cross-body bag and retrieved a plastic baggy containing fentanyl powder from it. He tore open the bag, causing the fentanyl to spill out.

The officer ingested some of the fentanyl and began suffering an apparent overdose. A second officer also suffered an apparent overdose after ingesting some of the spilled fentanyl. Both officers were taken to the hospital and treated with naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.

Adams admitted that the cross-body bag contained controlled substances including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and tablets containing methamphetamine and ecstasy. He now faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson praised the investigative work of the Oak Hill Police Department, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their role in taking down Adams.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing, while Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case. Adams is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2024.