Dawson Gets 2.5 Years for Huntington Drug & Gun Stash

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marques Dawson, 31, of Kentucky, is headed to federal prison after a 2016 raid uncovered a significant drug and weapons cache at a Huntington residence. Dawson was sentenced today to two years and four months behind bars for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing with intent to distribute crack, cocaine, and marijuana. Adding insult to injury, he received an additional six months for violating the terms of his federal supervised release, bringing his total sentence to a hefty two years and ten months.

The bust went down August 30, 2016, at 1030 21st Street, when deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant. The raid wasn’t a shot in the dark; authorities had been building a case against Dawson for months, utilizing a confidential informant who successfully purchased cocaine from him on multiple occasions at the 21st Street location. When deputies stormed the residence, they found Dawson present, along with a disturbing collection of illicit goods.

The search yielded approximately 17 grams of crack cocaine, a staggering 137 grams of cocaine, and a hefty 555 grams of marijuana. Deputies also seized digital scales – tools of the trade for any serious drug dealer – and a cool $1,372 in cash. But the haul didn’t stop at narcotics. A Raven Arms, MP-25, .25 caliber pistol was also recovered, a particularly damning piece of evidence given Dawson’s prior criminal history.

Dawson, it turns out, wasn’t a first-timer. He already had a 2013 felony conviction in federal court in Kentucky for – you guessed it – possession with intent to distribute crack. That conviction should have barred him from possessing any firearm under federal law, but Dawson apparently didn’t get the memo. He freely admitted to deputies that he’d been slinging drugs from the Huntington residence since at least May of 2016, claiming he “needed extra money.” A classic excuse, and one that clearly didn’t fly with the judge.

The investigation was spearheaded by the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, with Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams leading the prosecution. Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers handed down the sentence, making it clear that such blatant disregard for the law won’t be tolerated. This case was brought forth as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national initiative aimed at curbing gun violence by supporting local anti-crime programs.

Furthermore, this prosecution is part of a larger, ongoing effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to dismantle illegal drug networks. The office, along with its federal, state, and local partners, remains committed to aggressively targeting pill trafficking, shutting down open-air drug markets, and stemming the tide of illegal drugs flooding communities across the Southern District. Expect more busts like this one – the feds are watching.