Charleston Man Who Illegally Purchased Prescription Drugs Sentenced To Federal Prison

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston pill dealer who illegally purchased powerful prescription painkillers in April 2012 was sentenced yesterday to six months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin.  William Lewis Thornhill, II, 31, previously pleaded guilty in October to possession with intent to distribute oxymorphone, also known as “Opana.”  Thornhill’s sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. in Charleston.  On April 4, 2012, Thornhill purchased approximately 50 40-milligram Opana tablets.  Thornhill told police that he intended to sell the prescription pain tablets.  The illegal transaction occurred in and around Kanawha City.     

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution.

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 prescription drugs.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers in communities across the Southern District.