1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs Specialist
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Kenneth Smith, 25, of Moundsville, West Virginia was arrested today after a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging him with cocaine trafficking, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.
An investigation by the Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, revealed that Smith repeatedly sold crack cocaine throughout late 2013 and early 2014. In November 2013, Smith was discovered selling crack cocaine near Madison Elementary School in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Smith is charged with:
• One count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location." He faces up to forty years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000.00.
• Three counts of “Distribution of Cocaine Base." He faces up to twenty years in prison and fine of up to $1,000,000.00 on each count.
• One count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base." He faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
