OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA
Sharon L. Potter
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Fawn E. Thomas, Public Affairs Specialist
April 9, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eleven Individuals Named in Federal Drug Indictment
Four Defendants Arrested Today, Five Defendants Already In Custody,
Law Enforcement Officers Looking For Two
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA — Four individuals were arrested this morning on Federal Arrest Warrants by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers on charges contained in an Indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Wheeling, West Virginia, on April 1, 2008.
United States Attorney Sharon L. Potter announced that this morning’s arrests included six individuals from the Weirton, West Virginia, area and the Steubenville, Ohio, area, as well as five additional individuals who were in state and federal custody, on charges contained in a 22-count federal drug Indictment. The Indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 1 kilogram of heroin from May 2006 to April 1, 2008, in the Weirton area, and elsewhere. The Indictment also contains 14 counts of causing travel from Weirton to Steubenville for the purpose of distributing heroin; five counts of distribution of heroin; one count of possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime; and one count of a felon in possession of a firearm. A forfeiture count is included in the Indictment wherein the United States seeks to forfeit property that was used or derived from proceeds traceable to offenses alleged in the Indictment. This includes a money judgment in the amount of $250,000; four vehicles; $74,008 in United States Currency; and two firearms and ammunition.
The individuals arrested this morning include:
SHATIA J’NAE JETT, age 25, of Steubeville;
THOMAS MACNEILL, also known as TOMMY, age 26, of Steubenville;
CRAIG OWENS, age 24, of Follansbee, West Virginia; and
DEBRA TRAVAGLINO, age 55, of Weirton.
Law enforcement officers are seeking the arrest of:
ZAKEE DAY, age 29, of Steubenville, and
EDWIN DIAZ, also known as BLUE, also known as FLIP, age 24.
The individuals who were already in custody and named in the Indictment include:
GERALD ADAMS, II, also known as GERRY, age 30;
SHAREEK COLSON, also known as SMITH, age 25;
JOHNNY GRAYSON, age 19;
KARIEEM HARRISON, age 32; and
DAMONIEON DESHAWN RAINEY, also known as ERK, age 32.
The arrests today culminate a two-year joint investigation by the Steubenville Police Department, Narcotics Division; the Hancock/Brooke/Weirton Drug & Violent Crime Task Force; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration into heroin distribution in the Weirton and Steubenville areas.
“This case is part of our continuing effort to fight drug trafficking in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia,” stated USA Potter. “With the resurgence of heroin and the geography of our area, the multi-jurisdictional law enforcement effort was a key to this successful investigation.”
Walter C. Morrison, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington, DC, stated that, “The key to successful drug law enforcement is having working relationships with our local, state, and federal partners. This case is an excellent example of that cooperation. The Drug Enforcement Administration is committed to continue coordinated efforts throughout the Northern District of West Virginia and the neighboring jurisdictions.”
Sheriff Mike White commented, “This is another example of how far we can go in enforcing drug laws in our community and getting these guys off the street through the interstate cooperation and extremely hard work of the task forces and narcotics units in both Ohio and West Virginia. We appreciate their hard work and the support of the U. S. Attorney’s Office in these long-term and extremely important investigations.”
“Today marks the culmination of countless hours of hard work by the Task Force to combat heroin distribution in the Weirton area. Hopefully today’s arrests will serve as a deterrent to those people who choose to sell drugs,” said Sheriff Richard Ferguson.
Steubenville Police Chief William A. McCafferty stated, “I am very happy that local and federal law enforcement officers worked together in this case to combat drugs. We need to continue to work together and share our law enforcement tools for positive results.”
“I congratulate all those involved in this investigation. We must continue to work across state lines in this effort, because as we know, drug traffickers have no boundaries,” remarked Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla.
JETT, MACNEILL, OWENS, and TRAVAGLINO had their initial appearances this afternoon before Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert. JETT, OWENS, and TRAVAGLINO were released on bond. MACNEILL was detained pending a detention hearing and arraignment scheduled for April 14, 2008, at 2:00 p.m.
JETT, OWENS, TRAVAGLINO, ADAMS, COLSON, GRAYSON, HARRISON, and RAINEY will have their arraignments on April 17, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
“The arrests relating to heroin trafficking in the Weirton and Steubenville areas were the result of outstanding law enforcement investigative efforts by the Steubenville Police Department, Narcotics Division; the Hancock/Brooke/Weirton Drug & Violent Crime Task Force; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Cooperation among officials and agencies at all levels and on both sides of the Ohio River is vital to our overall law enforcement efforts.”
The Task Force consists of officers from the Weirton Police Department, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department, the Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistance in this investigation was also provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; uniformed officers of the Weirton Police Department; detectives from the Weirton Street Crimes Unit; the Weirton K-9 Unit; uniformed deputies from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department; uniformed deputies from the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department; the Follansbee Police Department; and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum exposure of 10 years to life imprisonment and a fine of $4,000,000 on the conspiracy count; a maximum exposure of five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 each on the travel counts; a maximum exposure of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000 each on the distribution counts; a mandatory term of five years imprisonment added to any other sentence on the possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking count; and 15 years to life imprisonment on the felon in possession of a firearm count.
It should be noted that the charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and not evidence of guilt, and that each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.