Shawn Lemont McClain, Heroin Trafficking, West Virginia 2014

A high-ranking member of a heroin trafficking operation in the Ohio Valley was brought to justice today, with a 10-year prison sentence handed down in federal court.

Shawn Lemont McClain, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for heroin trafficking, announced United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II.

McClain was found in possession of heroin by the Mountaineer Highway Interdiction Team in Ohio County, West Virginia. He had pled guilty in September 2014 to one count of "Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin".

The court noted that McClain's operation, which targeted the Ohio Valley, amounted to a business enterprise and emphasized the necessity of the prison term by noting that McClain continued to sell heroin while on pretrial release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Bernard prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, with Chief U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presiding.

McClain's sentence is a significant upward variance from the applicable advisory sentencing guideline range, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the harm caused to the community.

The case serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to combat heroin trafficking and the importance of holding those responsible accountable for their actions.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/ohio-man-sentenced-ten-years-heroin-trafficking