Joshua Osborne, Heroin Distribution, West Virginia 2014

Heroin Epidemic Continues to Plague West Virginia Communities

Two men have been brought to justice for their roles in distributing heroin in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Joshua Osborne, 31, of Lima, Ohio, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for traveling in interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity.

According to court documents, Osborne pleaded guilty in July 2014 to distributing heroin in the community. He admitted to traveling from Alderson, West Virginia, to Columbus, Ohio, where he obtained heroin and returned to Alderson with the intention of selling it. Osborne also admitted to making previous trips to Columbus to obtain heroin, which he sold in Alderson.

This case was prosecuted under the Beckley Pill Initiative as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air markets and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

Assistant United States Attorney John File was in charge of the prosecution for both cases. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentences.

Osborne’s crimes have had a significant impact on the Greenbrier County community, where heroin addiction has become a major concern. The sentencing of Osborne and his accomplice, Adam Ray Smith, is a step in the right direction towards addressing this issue.

Smith, 26, of Ronceverte, West Virginia, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for distribution of heroin. He pleaded guilty in July 2014, admitting that on August 30, 2013, he sold two packets of heroin to an individual in Ronceverte.

The case highlights the importance of interagency collaboration in combating heroin trafficking. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute individuals who are contributing to the heroin epidemic in West Virginia.

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