Christian Garrett Thornton, Drug Trafficking, West Virginia 2015

A Putnam County man was sentenced to four years in federal prison for his role in distributing oxymorphone in West Virginia, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto.

Christian Garrett Thornton, 30, pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing oxymorphone and one count of possession of oxymorphone with intent to distribute. The investigation revealed that Thornton sold Opana pills to a confidential informant on four occasions in February and March of 2015 in Kanawha and Putnam counties.

Thornton admitted to selling the pills to the informant, who was working with law enforcement, on four separate occasions. He also admitted to possessing additional Opana pills in March 2015 that he intended to distribute.

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald leading the prosecution. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence.

This case is part of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The office, joined by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open-air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

Thornton’s sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences of engaging in illegal drug activity. The case highlights the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in combating the opioid epidemic in West Virginia.

As the opioid crisis continues to affect communities across the country, it is essential that those responsible for distributing these deadly substances are held accountable. The sentence imposed on Thornton is a step in the right direction towards addressing this critical issue.

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