Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun Crimes

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Curtis Givens, 52, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to federal drug and gun crimes.

According to court documents, Givens admitted selling fentanyl to a confidential informant on two separate occasions in November 2020. The drug transactions occurred at Givens’ residence in Charleston. During one of the controlled buys, Givens also sold the confidential informant two firearms.

Givens pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 9, 2022.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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. 

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. 2:21-cr-00166.

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