Detroit Man Who Sold Thousands Of Oxycodone Pills Sentenced To Almost 16 Years In Federal Prison

Robert Smith sold more than 11,000 oxycodone tablets in and around Huntington

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man who illegally sold thousands of powerful prescription painkillers in and around the Huntington area was sentenced on May 13 to 15 years and eight months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin.  Robert Louis Smith, 40, of Detroit, previously pleaded guilty in February to distribution of oxycodone.

“Every time we put a law-breaking pill dealer out of business, it’s a big step toward getting this problem under control.” U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said, “I hope this conviction sends a clear message: There are consequences when you peddle poison in our communities."

On March 12, 2010, Smith met a confidential informant at a McDonald’s restaurant parking lot located on Hal Greer Boulevard in Huntington to complete a prearranged pill transaction.  After arriving at the location, Smith entered the police informant’s vehicle and distributed 229 80-milligram oxycodone pills and 257 oxycodone 40-milligram oxycodone pills in exchange for cash that was contained in a white paper bag.  Afterward, Smith returned to his vehicle with the bag containing the cash and drove out of the McDonald’s parking lot.  A short time later, Smith’s vehicle was stopped by HPD officers.  Police arrested Smith and recovered the bag of cash that he received from the pill transaction.     

At sentencing, the Court found that Smith had distributed a total of 11,820 80-milligram oxycodone tablets.  The Court also found that the oxycodone tablets were brought to the Huntington area and sold by the defendant between June 2009 and March 2010. 

The Huntington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

This case is being 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.