Wyoming Co. Man Indicted By Federal Grand Jury On Illegal Prescription Painkiller Distribution And Firearm Possession Charges

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Wyoming County man was indicted on June 18 by a federal grand jury sitting in Huntington in connection with illegal prescription painkiller distribution and firearm possession offenses, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. According to a 10-count indictment, Delbert Lester, 55, of McGraws, Wyoming Co., W.Va., allegedly sold oxycodone on eight separate occasions beginning on January 1, 2011 until May 4, 2013, near McGraws, W.Va.  The indictment also alleges that on May 9, 2013, Lester possessed oxycodone with intent to distribute.  Lester also allegedly possessed two loaded .22 caliber pistols in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 9, 2013. 

Lester faces up to 20 years in prison on each drug charge and up to five years in prison on the firearm charge if convicted. 

The investigation was conducted by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is in charge of the prosecution. 

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. 

The case is also being brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.

Note: The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.