Jessica Dawn Prince, Heroin Distribution, West Virginia 2023

Jessica Dawn Prince, 30, of Huntington, West Virginia, is headed to federal prison for five years after being convicted of distributing heroin in a case that exposed a steady flow of the drug through the city’s underground markets. The sentence, handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers, marks another salvo in the government’s relentless crackdown on opioid trafficking in Appalachia.

Prince pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of heroin, admitting she sold the drug to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on October 19, 2015. The controlled buy took place inside her home at 5400 Altizer Avenue—a residence now flagged in federal records as a known narcotics site. What began as a single transaction unraveled into a broader case when investigators discovered additional heroin in her possession following her arrest.

Authorities tied Prince to over 600 grams of heroin distributed across the Huntington area—enough to supply street-level dealers for months. The Drug Unit of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation, executing search warrants, tracking communications, and building a case that showed Prince wasn’t just a minor player, but a committed supplier feeding an epidemic.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory McVey prosecuted the case, arguing for stiff punishment given the volume of drugs and the damage heroin inflicts on communities like Huntington, where overdose rates have long outpaced national averages. McVey emphasized that even non-leadership figures in the drug trade are fueling a crisis that devastates families and overwhelms emergency services.

The prosecution is part of a broader initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to dismantle networks responsible for the illegal sale of heroin and prescription opioids. Federal and local agencies have formed task forces focused on shutting down open-air markets, intercepting shipments, and prosecuting distributors at every level of the supply chain.

Judge Chambers’ five-year sentence sends a clear message: those who profit from addiction will face serious time. As the opioid crisis continues to grip West Virginia, law enforcement isn’t distinguishing between kingpins and street-level sellers—each link in the chain is a target.