Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Austin Joseph Griffith, 22, of Hernshaw, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 50 grams or more or methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 13, 2021, Griffith sold approximately 560 grams of methamphetamine for $4,000 to a confidential informant at his Hernshaw residence.

Griffith is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

United States District Judge Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-147.

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