Kanawha Co. Man Sentenced To Five Years In Federal Prison For Illegal Oxycodone Possession

MDENT agents found prescription painkillers and firearms including an AR-15 rifle at Rand residence

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man who possessed hundreds of prescription painkiller pills, five firearms and thousands in cash inside of his residence in June 2012 was sentenced today to five years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Terrico L. Straughter, 23, of Rand, Kanawha County, W.Va., previously pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.  On June 13, 2012, members of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) executed a search warrant on the defendant’s Rand residence.  During the execution of the search warrant, police found approximately 999 30-milligram oxycodone pills and 43 grams of crack cocaine inside of the residence.  Law enforcement agents also found a total of five firearms that included a loaded pistol on top of a night stand, and an AR-15 assault rifle that was located in a bedroom closet. Police also found 26 10-milligram hydrocodone pills, marijuana, and $12,747 inside of the residence. 

The investigation was conducted by MDENT.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecution.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston. 

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.