Vienna Man Sentenced To Five Years In Federal Prison For Possession Of Heroin And A Firearm

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Vienna, West Virginia man who possessed heroin and a pistol in November of 2013 was sentenced today to five years in federal prison, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.  Robert Lamar Bates-Porter, 27, previously pleaded guilty in May of 2014 to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

In August, October, and November of 2013, drug task force officers made controlled purchases of heroin from Bates-Porter.  On November 10, 2013 police executed a search warrant at Bates-Porter’s 29th Street residence in Vienna, where they recovered approximately 100 grams of heroin and a Kimber .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol.

Bates-Porter had been previously convicted of felonies in Detroit, Michigan, including possession with intent to distribute cocaine in 2006 and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2007.  These convictions preclude him from possessing any firearm.

The Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

This case is being 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.  This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.