Defendant Intended to Distribute Over 196 Grams of Powerful Carfentanil
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - An Ohio man pled guilty today to a federal drug trafficking crime, announced U. S. Attorney Mike Stuart. Martel Trayvelle Easton, 21, of Akron, pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over 196 grams of carfentanil. Carfentanil is a form of fentanyl but 100 times more powerful, and 10,000 times more powerful than morphine. It is used as an elephant tranquilizer, and is commonly mixed with heroin and known on the street as “pink heroin."
“100 times more powerful than fentanyl. 10,000 times more powerful than morphine. An elephant tranquilizer," said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “If law enforcement had not intervened before these drugs hit the streets of Huntington, many West Virginians would have lost their lives. I so much appreciate law enforcement’s tireless fight against evil. They put their own lives in peril every day in an effort to save the lives of the citizens of our great state."
On February 7, 2018, the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, along with member of the Huntington Police Department, served a search warrant at 1217 10th Avenue in Huntington after seeing drug traffic from that apartment, which was being used a storage house for drugs. Easton was in the apartment when law enforcement entered and ran out the back door while throwing cash. After a brief struggle, Easton was subdued and arrested. Law enforcement also seized approximately 8 grams of methamphetamine during the search.
Easton faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment when he is sentenced on Aug. 12, 2019. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey is handling the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
