Two dealers sentenced to Federal prison for drug crimes

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Two men were sentenced today for federal drug crimes, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Wilbur Arnold, Jr., 50, of White Sulphur Springs, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In a separate prosecution, Michael Shepard, 23, of Beckley, was sentenced to ten months in federal prison for distribution of heroin.

Arnold admitted that on July 22, 2015, law enforcement authorities seized cocaine from his home that he intended to distribute. Along with the cocaine, Arnold further admitted to the possession of two handguns.

In a separate drug prosecution, Shepard admitted that on January 7, 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant cooperating with law enforcement. The drug deal took place on Hartley Avenue in Beckley.

The Arnold case was investigated by the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department and the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation of Shepard. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentences.

These cases were prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.  

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