CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In a major blow to the Mountain State’s opioid epidemic, Che Dushon Lark, 48, of Charleston, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lark’s crimes began on March 6, 2020, when law enforcement officers responded to reports of a vehicle parked without permission in a private driveway on Charleston’s West Side. Officers encountered Lark slumped over in the vehicle’s driver’s seat, and observed a package on Lark’s lap containing 4.4 grams of methamphetamine and 11.2 grams of a mixture of heroin and methamphetamine.
Lark’s reckless behavior continued as he drove off and fled at a high rate of speed through narrow streets, striking and fatally injuring Heather Ross of Charleston with his vehicle as she was escorting her four children to their bus stop for school. Lark abandoned his vehicle following the hit-and-run and fled on foot.
Lark’s crimes didn’t stop there. In early 2021, he used various third parties to distribute drugs, coordinating those distributions by cell phone. On February 23, 2021, Lark’s girlfriend sold approximately 12 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant after setting up the sale by cell phone.
A week later, Lark coordinated the sale of a quantity of fentanyl by Rebecca Dunlap, an associate of Lark’s, to a confidential informant. Dunlap, 48, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on September 2, 2021, to traveling in interstate commerce to promote, carry on, and facilitate a methamphetamine and fentanyl drug conspiracy, and awaits sentencing.
Lark’s long history of crime includes at least nine prior convictions in Michigan, Minnesota, Tennessee, and West Virginia, including four convictions for controlled substances-related offenses and three for fleeing from law enforcement. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Nowles Heinrich prosecuted the case. This case is a prime example of the ongoing struggle against opioid trafficking in West Virginia and the importance of holding those responsible accountable for their crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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