News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2008
In matters prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia:
CONVICTED FELON SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR POSSESSING HANDGUN
BECKLEY, WV – MARK ANDREW GRIFFITH, 35, of Daniels, WV, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston to 42 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. GRIFFITH previously pled guilty in March 2008, admitting that on January 14, 2008, he possessed a semi-automatic handgun in Daniels, WV. At the time he possessed the firearm, GRIFFITH was prohibited by virtue of felony nighttime burglary convictions in 2005. The Tri-lateral Drug Enforcement Network Team (TRIDENT) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney John L. File handled the prosecution.
CHARLESTON WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL CRACK COCAINE CHARGE
CHARLESTON, WV – WANDA ELAINE FOLDEN, 41, of Charleston, WV pled guilty yesterday to possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of cocaine base. Suspecting that the police were coming to investigate her in May 2007, FOLDEN placed 143.63 grams of crack cocaine, 37.4 grams of marijuana, and other items into a bag. FOLDEN handed the bag of drugs to a juvenile and instructed the child to hide the items in her van. Detectives intercepted the child on the sidewalk and seized the bag of drugs. Chief United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin accepted FOLDEN'S plea and set the matter for sentencing in September 2008. She faces a minimum mandatory sentence of at least ten years in prison and up to life in prison; she may also be fined up to $4 million.
Detectives with the Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) of the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation.
CROSS LANES RESIDENT SENTENCED ON METHAMPHETAMINE CHARGE
JEFFREY WAYNE JONES, 42, of Cross Lanes, WV was sentenced by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. to five years in prison for attempting to manufacture methamphetamine. On July 31, 2007, police responded to a tip the defendant was producing methamphetamine in his home. Upon speaking with the defendant, police smelled an odor consistent with methamphetamine production and also found a small amount of meth on his person. Police then executed a search warrant and located two large clandestine methamphetamine laboratories. One lab featured Lithium Ion method of production (aka the Nazi method – so named because the Nazi's developed a similar method of manufacture). The Kanawha County Bomb Squad was called in to dispose of the lithium. A red phosphorous lab was also found.
Judge Copenhaver noted that the size of the labs, the proximity of the labs to other homes and the presence of a loaded firearm in the house near the methamphetamine made this a serious matter. Judge Copenhaver specifically credited Jones with warning the police about the explosive dangers with certain chemicals and paying $20,000 of his own money towards lab clean up efforts after he was arrested. MDENT and the Kanawha County Bomb Squad conducted the investigation. AUSA Erik Goes handled the prosecution.