CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A 24-year-old man who had 196 grams of cocaine and nearly $70,000 in cash hidden at his Charleston residence in February 2012 was sentenced today to two and a half years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Gabriel J. Gonzalez previously pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Gonzalez’s sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston in Charleston.
On Feb. 28, 2012, members of the Charleston Police Department executed a search warrant on Gonzalez’s Charleston residence. During the search, police found cocaine, $69,440 in cash, and a set of digital scales. The cocaine seized by law enforcement weighed 196 grams. Gonzalez told police that he intended to sell the cocaine. Gonzalez also told police that the cash inside his residence was proceeds collected from illegal drug transactions.
This case was investigated by the Charleston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Blaire Malkin handled the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
