Charleston man sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for methamphetamine crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 13 years in federal prison for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. In September 2017, Brian D. Terry, 32, was found guilty by a federal jury sitting in Charleston following his trial for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

Witnesses for the United States testified that on April 20, 2016, Terry was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for speeding by officers with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. The traffic stop took place in the St. Albans area, on MacCorkle Avenue close to Oliver Street. During the traffic stop, Terry consented to a search, and officers discovered approximately 195 grams of crystal methamphetamine in his groin area. A chemist with U.S. Customs and Border Protection testified at trial that the methamphetamine found on Terry was approximately 99% pure.

Officers arrested Terry and read him his Miranda rights. Subsequently, during the transport of Terry to South Central Regional Jail, he shared details of his drug trafficking activity with an officer, including the quantity of methamphetamine he sold and the price he charged. Both the traffic stop and the transport to the jail were recorded.

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Clint Carte are in charge of the prosecution and tried the case before a federal jury. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence and presided over the trial.

This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.

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