Six Marshall County Residents Convicted For The Distribution Of Oxycodone Within 1,000 Feet Of A Protected Location

1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-7725 ● Contact: Chris Zumpetta-Parr, Public Affairs Specialist

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Seven Others Appear for Pleas and Sentencing

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II
announced that the following individuals recently appeared in Federal Court in Wheeling.

ANDREW J. RICHARDSON, age 27, KRISTEN A. STURM, age 24, TYLER M. YOUNG, age 20, JENNIFER A. THOMPSON, age 25, BROOKE STURM, age 18 and AMANDA K. VANSCYOC, age 31, entered pleas of guilty to “Distribution of Oxycodone within 1,000 Feet of the Moundsville Middle School. BROOKE STURM, who is in custody pending sentencing, and RICHARDSON, KRISTEN STURM, YOUNG, THOMPSON and VANSCYOC, who are free on bond, face 1 to 40 years imprisonment and a $2,000,000 fine. This case was investigated by the Marshall County Drug Task Force, which includes officers and agents from the Moundsville Police Department, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

JEFFREY J. OLIVER, age 26, of Wheeling, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release for “Possession of Child Pornography.” OLIVER, who is free on bond, will self-report to the designated Federal institution. This case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police -Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr.

WILLIAM “CHAZ” CRISWELL, age 29,of Wheeling, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release for “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.” CRISWELL, who is free on bond, will self-report to the designated Federal institution. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives along with the Wheeling Police Department.

CHARLES J. WESTBROOKS, age 47, of Paden City, West Virginia, was sentenced to 5 years probation for “Theft of Public Funds.” This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Perri and investigated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General- Criminal Investigation Division.

HERBERT C. BREIDING, age 34, of Triadelphia, West Virginia, was sentenced to 3 years probation for “Possession of a Firearm While Under a Current Protective Order.” This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

RONALD SNIDER, age 50, of Weirton, West Virginia, entered a plea of guilty to “Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine.” SNIDER, who is free on bond, faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jefferson County, Ohio, Drug Task Force.

Jose Jesús TAPIA MONTES, age 36, of Washington, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to
30 months imprisonment and Elmer Pina PINTO, age 44, of Washington, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment for “Aiding and Abetting in the Transportation of an Individual in Interstate Commerce with Intent to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity.” TAPIA MONTES and PINTO were remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution. The F.B.I. was assisted by the Wheeling Police Department and the Harmony House Child Advocacy Center in the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr.