Husband and Wife Who Coordinated Delivery of Methamphetamine from California to Virginia Are Sentenced to Lengthy Terms in Federal Prison

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A husband and wife, who along with several others trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine from California into Southwest Virginia, were sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced.

Justin Edward Hale, 38, and Elizabeth Hale, 40, both of Meadowview, Va., were sentenced yesterday in Federal Court. Justin Hale was sentenced to 360 months in prison. Elizabeth Hale was sentenced to 192 months in prison. In January 2019, both defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams of methamphetamine.

“These defendants not only brought huge quantities of methamphetamine into Southwest Virginia, but they utilized firearms and threats of violence in furtherance of their drug trade,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today.  “As a result, they will spend the better parts of their lives in federal prison.  We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local partners to dismantle methamphetamine trafficking rings and hold dealers accountable.”

According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Justin and Elizabeth Hale coordinated the transportation of multi-pound packages of methamphetamine shipped from California to Abingdon. Once the drugs were in Abingdon, co-defendants Rhonda McDonald, Crystal Lyons, Jessica Dixon, and Michael Kestner received quantities of the drug from Justin Hale, which they then distributed in Marion and Abingdon, Virginia. Additionally, Dixon and Kestner were found to have used firearms to threaten and intimidate individuals who owed them money for methamphetamine.

In separate hearings in May 2019, Kestner was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison, Lyons was sentenced to 60 months, and McDonald was sentenced to 36 months. Dixon will be sentenced on June 25, 2019.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Abingdon Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Virginia State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Lee is prosecuting the case for the United States.