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Methamphetamine and Cocaine Traffickers Get Prison Time

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – In a string of convictions, two West Virginia men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a pair of high-profile drug trafficking cases. Vincent Paul Gibson, 29, of Coalton, West Virginia, was discovered in Randolph County, West Virginia, in possession of materials commonly used to manufacture methamphetamine.

The materials included plastic bottles, batteries, rubber tubing, empty packages of medication containing pseudoephedrine, coffee filters, drain cleaner, mason jars, and instant ice compresses. Following an investigation by the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, he pled guilty in August 2015 to one count of “Possession of Material used in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine.”

Gibson was sentenced to 48 months in prison, a punishment handed down by U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

In a separate case, Santos Macedoni Barragan, 31, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was convicted of selling cocaine near an elementary and secondary school in Hardy County, West Virginia. Following an investigation by the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, he pled guilty in September 2015 to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine within 1,000 Feet of a School.”

Barragan was sentenced to 12 months in prison, a punishment also handed down by U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey. Again, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner handled the prosecution.

The convictions mark a significant blow to the state’s ongoing struggle with drug trafficking. As the nation continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic, cases like these serve as a reminder of the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the judiciary.

U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, praised the efforts of the task forces and law enforcement agencies involved in the investigations. “The Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force have done an outstanding job in identifying and prosecuting those involved in the trafficking of methamphetamine and cocaine,” he said.

Barragan and Gibson will now serve time behind bars for their roles in the trafficking of these highly addictive substances. As the nation continues to fight the war on drugs, cases like these serve as a reminder of the importance of holding those accountable who seek to perpetuate the cycle of addiction.”

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