ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA - Joshua Caleb Haggerty, of Petersburg, West Virginia, is facing drug and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Haggerty, 36, was indicted by a grand jury sitting in Wheeling in October on six counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine," one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm," and “Possession of Unregistered Firearm." Haggerty is accused of selling methamphetamine in January, February, and March 2020 in Grant County. Haggerty, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of prior convictions, is also accused of having an unregistered, modified 12-gauge shotgun in March 2020 in Grant County.
Haggerty faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each drug charge. He faces up to 10 years of incarceration for each of the firearms charges. 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 D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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
