1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-7725 ● Contact: Chris Zumpetta-Parr, Public Affairs Specialist
Follow us on Twitter @NDWVnews
Eleven Others Appear for Pleas and Sentencing
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that a North Carolina resident was sentenced to prison as a result of his conviction on an oxycodone conspiracy charge.
REGINALD SCOTT, age 45, was sentenced by District Court Judge Irene M. Keeley to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release for “Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone." SCOTT admitted to selling oxycodone in Morgantown, WV, between September of 2011 to April 21, 2012. The Court also ordered the forfeiture of $10,000 which constituted proceeds from the illegal activity. SCOTT was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley and investigated by the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
Judge Keeley also sentenced the following defendants:
SHANE LEWIS GILLESPIE, age 24, of Clarksburg, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and two years of supervised release for “Possession of a Firearm by an Unlawful User of and Addict to a Controlled Substance." GILLESPIE was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution. This case was prosecuted by Criminal Chief Shawn A. Morgan and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clarksburg Police Department and the Belpre, Ohio, Police Department.
TIMOTHY LINGO, age 30, of Westover, West Virginia, was sentenced to 34 months in prison and two years of supervised release for “Felon in Possession of a Firearm." LINGO was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution. This case was and investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
CHRISTOPER WEAVER, age 37, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for the “Distribution of Cocaine." WEAVER was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution. This case was investigated by West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
JENNA HANSLER, age 27, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release for the “Distribution of Cocaine within 1,000 Feet of the Carlone Street Apartments." HANSLER, who is free on bond, will self-report to the designated Federal institution on Jan. 29, 2014. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fairmont Police Department.
The LINGO, WEAVER and HANSLER cases were prosecuted by Wesley.
The following defendants entered pleas before Magistrate Judge John S. Kaull:
LEROY ROUSSEAU a/k/a “BLACK," age 25, of Clarksburg and formerly of Washington, D.C. entered pleas of guilty to “Employment and Use of a Person Under 18 Years of Age in Drug Operations" and “Felon in Possession of a Firearm." As part of his plea, ROUSSSEAU forfeited a Haskell.45 caliber pistol as property used or intended to be used to commit the charged offenses. ROUSSEAU, who is in custody pending sentencing, faces up to 40 years in prison. ROUSSEAU’s co-defendants, FRANCESCA STRAKAL a/k/a “ROCKY," age 20, and TALYA KEENER, age 22, of Clarksburg, entered pleas of guilty to “Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise." STRAKAL and KEENER, who are free on bond pending sentencing, each face up to 20 years in prison.
JUSTIN ZACHARY ROSA a/k/a “PEE WEE," age 19 and NICHOLE NIKKI PIERCE, age 21, of Clarksburg, entered pleas of guilty to “Distribution of Heroin." ROSA also entered a plea of guilty to “Possession of a Firearm by an Unlawful User and Addict to Heroin." PIERCE, also entered a plea of guilty to “Felon in Possession of a Firearm." As part of the plea, ROSA will forfeit $4,822.46 in United States currency which constitutes proceeds obtained from the illegal activity, a cellular phone, a Smith and Wesson revolver and $4,720 in counterfeit U.S. currency. ROSA and PIERCE, who are in custody pending sentencing, each face up to 20 years in prison on the distribution charge and up to 10 years on the firearms charge.
MICHAEL JOHN GRIFFIN, age 34, of Clarksburg, entered a plea of guilty to “Distribution of Heroin." GRIFFIN, who is free on bond pending sentencing, faces up to 20 years in prison.
NICOLE BENNETT, age 33, of Clarksburg, entered a plea of guilty to “Intentional Harassment to Dissuade Another Person from Assisting in Criminal Prosecution." BENNETT, who is in custody pending sentencing, faces up to 40 years in prison.
The ROUSSEAU, ROSA, GRIFFIN and BENNETT cases were investigated by the Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force consisting of officers from the Bridgeport Police Department; Clarksburg Police Department; Drug Enforcement Administration; West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service; and, the United States Marshals Service. The cases were prosecuted by Morgan, and the United States Secret Service also assisted with the ROSA investigation.
BEN PHARES, age 26, of Kingwood, West Virginia, entered a plea of guilty to “Distribution of Heroin within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location." PHARES, who is free on bond pending sentencing, faces up to 40 years in prison. This case was prosecuted by Wesley and was investigated by the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
FRANCISCO GONZALEZ-AYALA, age 44, entered a plea of guilty to entering the United States, after having been previously deported, without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General of the United States to reapply for admission to the United States.
GONZALEZ-AYALA faces up to 20 years in prison due to prior aggravated felony offense. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri and was investigated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE/HIS).
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
