HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Shawn Anthony Graves, 29, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, also known as “crack."
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 7, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a 14th Street residence and found approximately 15.4 grams of crack and 4.5 grams of cocaine. Graves admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the crack and cocaine located inside the 14th Street residence.
Graves further admitted to selling quantities of crack at the 14th Street residence on Sept. 26, 2019 and Oct. 28, 2019, each time to a confidential informant.
Graves is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Officers also found three loaded firearms during the November 7, 2019 search of the 14th Street residence: an Eagle Arms AR15.223-caliber rifle; a Springfield XDS 9mm pistol; and a Taurus Judge Public Defender,.45/.410-caliber pistol. Co-defendant Marshall Lee Graves II, 38, of Huntington, was sentenced to six years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm on Aug. 24, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-181.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
