Charleston Man Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Selling Crack Cocaine

Defendant Listed Among Charleston’s West Side DMI Offenders

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin today announced that a Charleston man was sentenced to five years in prison for distributing crack cocaine. Fred Taylor, 23, of Charleston, admitted that on December 1, 2010, he sold a quantity of crack cocaine to a confidential informant working for the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).  Taylor further admitted that on December 7, 2010, he sold crack cocaine to an informant working for MDENT.  Both illegal drug transactions took place in Charleston. 

On December 22, 2010, MDENT officers executed a search warrant at an apartment shared by the defendant and his associate located on Hutchinson Street in Charleston.  Officers located and seized a quantity of crack cocaine, two sets of scales and approximately $2,474 cash. 

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handed the prosecution.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. 

This case was prosecuted as part of the Charleston area’s Drug Market Intervention (DMI) initiative. The DMI initiative was launched in February 2012 by Charleston Police Chief Brent Webster and U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin, in collaboration with Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Plants, other federal, state, local law enforcement agencies and leaders representing several West Side community development organizations. The DMI initiative was initiated in Charleston as a strategic problem-solving effort aimed at closing down open-air drug markets that breed crimes of violence and disorder.