Raymond Jaquette Howard, Fentanyl Distribution, West Virginia 2022

A West Virginia man has been sentenced to 14 years and eight months in prison for his involvement in a fentanyl crime in Huntington, West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Raymond Jaquette Howard, 34, of Las Vegas, Nevada, sold approximately 1.01 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Huntington motel on September 22, 2021.

On November 16, 2021, law enforcement officers searched Howard’s motel room and found approximately 4.6 pounds of fentanyl and a loaded Glock 43x pistol hidden in the ceiling. Howard admitted that he intended to sell the fentanyl.

Howard further admitted to directing co-defendant David Anthony Wellman to sell quantities of fentanyl between September 2021 and December 2021. Wellman pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl on September 28, 2022.

On December 24, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Howard was a passenger. Officers searched the vehicle and found approximately 399.6 grams of fentanyl in a backpack. Howard admitted that he intended to sell the fentanyl or direct others to sell the fentanyl on his behalf.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, and the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.

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