BECKLEY, W.Va. - A Tennessee man was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mario Lavonta Ward, 47, of Memphis, admitted that he sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $200 near Beckley on June 8, 2021. Ward further admitted that on that same date, officers executed a search warrant at the residence where the drug transaction had occurred and found additional quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, a firearm, and $6,500 in cash. The cash recovered included the $200 used by the confidential informant to purchase the fentanyl.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Ward knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of a prior felony conviction. Ward agreed to forfeit the firearm and the money.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit is comprised of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
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. 5:21-cr-229.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
