Beckley Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Crime

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man was sentenced to federal prison for a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Kendall Cotten, 30, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute. 

“Cotten was selling fentanyl-laced heroin,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “These cases are tragic and outrageous. We continue to focus on prosecuting the traffickers of these deadly poisons with the goal of removing them from society so that they cannot harm our families or communities any longer.”

Cotten previously admitted that on three separate occasions between November 28, 2017 and December 7, 2017, he sold what he believed to be heroin, but in fact turned out to be a mix of heroin and fentanyl, to a confidential informant working with the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.  The drugs sold on these dates were tested by the West Virginia State Police Crime Lab and confirmed to contain heroin and fentanyl.  Cotten also admitted that on December 13, 2017, police executed a search warrant at his residence.  During the search police officers recovered 122 bindles of heroin, $727 in cash that were the proceeds of drug trafficking activities, and a Ruger LCP .380 pistol.  Cotten admitted that he intended to distribute the heroin found during the execution of the search warrant.  

Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecution.  United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence.

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