Christopher Lee Saunders Pleads Guilty to Oxymorphone Distribution
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A man from the Beckley area has pleaded guilty to distributing a highly addictive prescription painkiller. According to court documents, Christopher Lee Saunders, 42, admitted to selling oxymorphone to a confidential informant working with law enforcement authorities on January 22, 2015.
The illicit transaction took place in the parking lot of a local Walmart, located at Robert C. Byrd Drive in MacArthur, West Virginia. Saunders’ guilty plea could result in up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine, according to United States Attorney Booth Goodwin.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger has scheduled Saunders’ sentencing for October 8, 2015. The case was investigated by the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia has been actively working to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin in the region. The office has joined forces with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to aggressively pursue and shut down illegal pill trafficking, eliminate open air drug markets, and curb the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in the community.
Oxymorphone, a powerful prescription painkiller, has been linked to numerous overdose deaths across the country. The prescription painkiller has been classified as a Schedule II controlled substance due to its high potential for abuse and addiction.
In light of Saunders’ guilty plea, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia remains committed to addressing the issue of prescription painkiller abuse and the devastating effects it has on communities throughout the region.
A total of 42-year-old Christopher Lee Saunders faces sentencing for his role in distributing oxymorphone in the Beckley area.
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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