Detroit heroin dealer pleads guilty in Federal court

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man who had heroin, oxycodone, and cash pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney, Booth Goodwin.  Kendrick Leon Ward, 24 pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston to distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of a college or university.

On November 8 and 11, 2013, drug task force officers used an informant to purchase approximately five grams of heroin from Ward in exchange for $1,125.  Both drug deals occurred near Ward’s residence at Dawson Hall on the campus of West Virginia State University.  On November 12, 2013, police executed a search warrant on Ward’s dorm room and seized 20 grams of heroin, 100 30mg oxycodone pills, 100 30mg tramadol pills, and $21,265.00 which included the money used in the undercover drug busy the day before. W

Ward faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a $2 million fine when sentenced on December 29, 2015.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).  Assistant United States Attorney, Joshua Hanks is in charge of the prosecution.

This case is 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 and heroin.  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 pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

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