WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Shannon Jerome Hinton, 25, of Cleveland, Ohio, was convicted of selling heroin near a Hancock County, West Virginia playground in federal court, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
An investigation by the Hancock, Brooke, Weirton Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, revealed that Hinton sold heroin in August 2014 near Clark Field Playground in Hancock County, West Virginia.
Hinton pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting in the Distribution of Heroin within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location." He faces between one and forty years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000. 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 Stephen Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Columbiana County, Ohio Drug Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration Youngstown, Ohio Field Office assisted in the investigation.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp presided.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
