Stephanie Lawhorn, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, West Virginia 2018

West Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charge

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Kanawha County woman has admitted to federal drug charges after a lengthy investigation. Stephanie Lawhorn, 39, from Belle, West Virginia, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.

Lawhorn was stopped by law enforcement officers on September 27, 2018, in Belle, West Virginia. During the stop, officers found 121 grams of methamphetamine, 14 grams of fentanyl, 53 grams of marijuana, and $9,139 in cash in her vehicle.

'121 grams of meth. 14 grams of fentanyl. 53 grams of marijuana. Over $9,000 in cash,' said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. 'Lawhorn's car was a rolling smorgasbord of powerful drugs – an illegal smorgasbord – that we shut down.'

Lawhorn admitted to officers that she intended to sell the drugs found in her vehicle. She faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on October 23, 2019.

The case was investigated by the Belle Police Department and the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Arthur is handling the prosecution.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided at the plea hearing.

Kanawha County woman Stephanie Lawhorn has been charged with a federal crime and is awaiting sentencing. The case is a reminder of the ongoing struggle against drug trafficking in West Virginia.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/kanawha-county-woman-pleads-guilty-federal-drug-charge