CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Charleston man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Robert Thomas (also known as Zombie), 33, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“It’s hard to imagine 989 grams of meth, but that’s what we have in this case. Firearms too," said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “I am working with every possible partner and hitting hard at the drug dealers. They need to go. They are not welcome in West Virginia. We’re prosecuting gun-toting meth dealers like Thomas to get them off of our streets. And we’re trying to get them locked up for as long as possible."
Thomas admitted that his home was searched, pursuant to a search warrant, on Jan. 17, 2017. During the search of his residence, detectives seized what proved to be 989 grams of methamphetamine. Detectives also seized four firearms. Thomas possessed the firearms to protect himself and his drugs and he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to other drug dealers and addicts.
Thomas faces 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 13, 2020.
The Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) of the Charleston Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
