Press Release
Former Substance Abuse Treatment Counselor Sentenced for Distribution of Fentanyl
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that David Reeves, 51, of Beckley, a former substance abuse treatment counselor, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for illegally distributing fentanyl to a substance abuse treatment patient. Stuart commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Tragic – an employee of a substance abuse treatment center distributing fentanyl to a patient being treated for opioid use disorder,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
As part of his plea, Reeves admitted that he had an inappropriate relationship with a patient at Charleston Treatment Center (CTC), where he worked as a counselor from 2016 through October 2018. Reeves admitted to giving the patient fentanyl patches he had stolen from his wife’s supply, and at the time he gave the patient the fentanyl, he knew the patient was being treated for opioid use disorder at CTC. The evidence also showed that Reeves sold fentanyl to a different patient of CTC.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the case. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn handled the prosecution.
This prosecution is the result of the formation of the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit (OFADU), a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to identify and prosecute individuals that are contributors to the national opioid crisis. The Southern District of West Virginia is one of 12 districts nationally to participate in the pilot program.
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Updated June 5, 2019
Topics
Drug Trafficking
Opioids
Component