South Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Charge
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A South Charleston man has been taken off the streets as a major player in the region’s heroin trade. Michael Andrew Rude, 34, pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.
Rude pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it. According to Rude’s own admission, he had heroin at his home in South Charleston on April 23, 2015, that he intended to sell. He also confessed to selling heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on several other occasions in April.
The investigation into Rude’s activities was conducted by the Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution. Rude now faces up to 20 years of imprisonment when he is sentenced on October 1, 2015.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is leading the charge against the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. Joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the office 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.
The case against Rude is just one example of the office’s ongoing effort to combat the heroin epidemic affecting West Virginia. With the assistance of law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is working tirelessly to dismantle the networks of individuals and groups responsible for the sale and distribution of heroin and other illicit substances.
Rude’s guilty plea is a significant blow to the heroin trade in the region, and it shows that those responsible for the sale and distribution of these deadly substances will be held accountable for their actions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that those who engage in this type of activity are brought to justice and face the full consequences of their actions.
As the investigation into Rude’s activities continues, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is urging anyone with information about the heroin trade in West Virginia to come forward and provide assistance. By working together, we can dismantle the networks of individuals and groups responsible for the sale and distribution of heroin and other illicit substances, and make our communities safer for everyone.
Michael Andrew Rude, 34, will be sentenced on October 1, 2015, and faces up to 20 years of imprisonment.
The Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation, and Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution.
Related Federal Cases
- Detroit Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Heroin Charge · Michigan
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- Beckley Woman Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution · West Virginia
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- Ohio Man Sentenced for Heroin Distribution in W.Va. · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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