U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson | U.S. Department of Justice
Joseph Daniel Skeens, a 35-year-old resident of St. Albans, has been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. The sentence includes an additional three years of supervised release. This decision was announced by United States Attorney Will Thompson.
Court documents revealed that on November 17, 2023, Skeens sold approximately 2.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. In return, he received a new Rigid impact wrench. Skeens admitted to this transaction and several others between October 2, 2023, and November 22, 2023. During this period, he distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine in exchange for money or stolen goods such as tools and groceries.
Skeens' transactions included selling 3.46 grams of fentanyl for $50 on October 2, 2023; exchanging 1.34 grams of methamphetamine for a Rigid rotary power hammer on November 18, 2023; and trading approximately one gram of methamphetamine for $100 worth of groceries on November 22, 2023. Each deal involved a confidential informant.
On October 2, law enforcement stopped Skeens' vehicle near Hurricane on Interstate 64 and seized about 220.98 grams of methamphetamine from the car. Another traffic stop occurred on October 23 in Charleston where authorities confiscated approximately 54.63 grams of methamphetamine along with a firearm from his vehicle.
Skeens' criminal history includes multiple prior convictions related to drug manufacturing attempts and possession of stolen vehicles.
The investigation was carried out by the St. Albans Police Department with support from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum under the supervision of United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
For more information about this case or related court documents, visit the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia or search Case No. 2:23-cr-200 on PACER.
