A 29-year-old Beckley man has pleaded guilty to distributing oxycodone, a highly addictive prescription painkiller, according to officials.
Steven D. Benko, 29, admitted to selling oxycodone to an undercover officer on March 5, 2014, on Antonio Avenue in Beckley, West Virginia.
The case was investigated by the Beckley Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and is being prosecuted under the Beckley Pill Initiative, a program directed by the United States Attorney’s Office.
This case is part of an ongoing effort 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 drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Benko faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine, according to the plea agreement.
United States District Court Judge Irene C. Berger has set a sentencing hearing for January 14, 2015, to determine Benko’s punishment.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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