Charleston Crack Dealer Sentenced To 262 Months In Federal Prison

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man who sold cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine, to an informant in January of 2012 on Central Avenue in Charleston was sentenced today to 262 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Marvin Lee Garrett, 33, was convicted at trial in October of 2012 for  distributing crack cocaine.   Garrett is a career offender, having at least two prior convictions for drug offenses and crimes of violence. 

The 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 other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as leaders representing several West Side community 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.  The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys William King and Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.