North Carolina men plead guilty to crack distribution

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that two North Carolina men pleaded guilty to distribution of crack cocaine.

Anthony Kearse, 39, of High Point, North Carolina, admitted that on Sept. 1, 2011, he sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant in exchange for $200 at an apartment building in Welch, West Virginia.

Chad Commander, 26, of High Point, North Carolina, admitted that on Dec. 2, 2011, he sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant in Welch.

Both men face up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine. They are scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2015.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the plea hearing.

The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, Southern Regional Drug Task Force and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney John Frail is in charge of the prosecution.

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