U.S. Department
of Justice
Two Local Men Sentenced for Federal Drug Crimes
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Three local men were sentenced today on federal drug crimes in United States District Court in Huntington, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
“We’re working with our law enforcement partners 24/7 to identify and prosecute drug dealers like Pittman and Pardue who are poisoning our communities with meth and opioids,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
Michael Pittman, 38, of Charleston, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. On October 9, 2018, officers with the Huntington Police Department were dispatched to the intersection of 18th Street West and Jefferson Avenue for a report of a man down. When they arrived on scene, they found Pittman laying in the middle of the road with no shirt or shoes on. Pittman told officers he had just injected heroin. Officers found approximately 53 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 9 grams of heroin in Pittman’s truck. Pittman admitted he intended to sell the methamphetamine and heroin. The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.
In a separate proceeding, Richard Pardue, 34, of Huntington, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for selling heroin. Pardue previously admitted that on January 18, 2017, he met a confidential informant in Ona, West Virginia. He gave the informant ½ gram of heroin in exchange for $60. The Violent Drug and Crime Task Force West conducted the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed all of the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the cases.
Both cases were prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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