Matthew Saunders Sentenced to 6 Years for Crack Cocaine Trafficking

In a significant blow to Charleston’s West Side, Matthew Saunders, a 20-year-old man, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for distributing crack cocaine. This sentence is part of a yearlong crackdown on the area’s open-air drug markets.

According to court records, Saunders admitted to selling crack cocaine to a confidential informant on June 30, 2011, in exchange for $1,200. He further admitted to selling crack cocaine to an informant on July 7 and July 14, 2011. The illegal transactions occurred near Grant and Russell Streets in Charleston.

On July 18, 2011, law enforcement officers seized crack cocaine from a residence in Charleston, which Saunders had arranged to sell. He was apprehended prior to arriving at the residence to obtain the crack cocaine. The suspected crack cocaine base from the three controlled buys and the quantity of crack cocaine seized from the search of the residence was submitted to the West Virginia State Police Laboratory for analysis and proved to be crack cocaine weighing 23.2 grams, 22.9 grams, and 27.2 grams, respectively.

As a result, Saunders admitted to selling a total of 142.23 grams of crack cocaine. This case was prosecuted as part of the Charleston area’s Drug Market Intervention (DMI) initiative, which was launched in February 2012 by Charleston Police Chief Brent Webster and U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin, in collaboration with Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Plants, other federal, state, local law enforcement agencies, and leaders representing several West Side community development organizations.

The DMI initiative aimed to close down open-air drug markets that breed crimes of violence and disorder. The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigations, and Assistant United States Attorney John Frail handled the prosecution.

Matthew Saunders’ sentencing is the second recent case in this initiative, following Fred Taylor, 23, of Charleston, who was sentenced to five years in prison for distributing crack cocaine. The crackdown on Charleston’s West Side drug market continues, with law enforcement agencies working together to reduce crime and improve the community.

Defendant: Matthew Saunders

Criminal Charges: Distributing crack cocaine

City and State: Charleston, West Virginia

Exact Date: June 30, 2011

Sentence or Outcome: Six years in federal prison

Dollar Amounts: $1,200

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