Stephen Somon Pleads Guilty to Crack Distribution in Huntington

An Ohio man caught selling crack cocaine to a confidential informant on the streets of Huntington in 2016 has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges. Stephen Somon, 44, of Ironton, admitted in court today that he distributed the drug in a sting operation set up by federal agents.

Somon entered his guilty plea to aiding and abetting the distribution of crack, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The deal went down on September 13, 2016, when law enforcement used an informant to arrange a buy near the Little Caesar’s on 1st Street in Huntington. Somon arrived and handed over the crack in exchange for $850 in marked bills.

U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart didn’t mince words: “If you sell your poison in Huntington, you’re making a big mistake, and it will cost you dearly,” he said. “We’re taking back the streets of Huntington and the only hospitality we are offering drug dealers is a long stay in a prison cell, and that cell doesn’t come with turn down service or a chocolate on the pillow.”

The plea deal includes an admission by Somon that he allowed others to use his residence for the purpose of distributing crack. The confession adds a layer of criminal enterprise to the case, painting Somon not just as a street-level dealer but as an enabler of broader drug activity in the region.

The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with support from local and federal partners. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie S. Taylor are prosecuting the case. The plea hearing was held before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

Somon is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2018. This case is part of a sweeping federal push to dismantle open-air drug markets in the Southern District of West Virginia, where overdose rates have long ranked among the highest in the nation. Authorities say they’re coming down hard on anyone fueling the crisis.