CHARLESTON, W.Va. - An Ohio man was sentenced today to federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Joshua Gregory Richardson, age 34, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 71 months’ imprisonment. Richardson had previously pled guilty in in February of this year. Stuart praised the work of MDENT.
“The influx of meth continues," said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “I applaud this conviction that puts another meth dealer behind bars."
From approximately Dec. 1, 2016, to Dec. 20, 2016, Richardson was a supplier of dealer amounts of methamphetamine to another dealer in Cross Lanes, West Virginia. On Dec. 20, 2016, members of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted a controlled purchase of approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine from the local Cross Lanes dealer. After the controlled purchase, but before the agents left the area, Richardson arrived to collect money owed him for methamphetamine he had previously provided the local dealer. Agents followed Richardson from Cross Lanes into Ohio, where Ohio authorities conducted a traffic stop of his vehicle. A drug dog was at the scene and positively indicated on the vehicle. No drugs were found at the time. Richardson, however, possessed $9883 in cash at the time of the stop, $900 of which was pre-recorded buy money from the controlled purchase conducted in Cross Lanes earlier that day. Agents also downloaded text messages between defendant and the local dealer in which they discuss the sale of methamphetamine. The court also ordered that the cash found on him in Ohio be forfeited to the United States.
United States District Court Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
