Feb. 16—Straw purchaser gets three years for role in firearms trafficking conspiracy

beckley, w.va. — Kyla Gilbert, 26, of Beckley, was sentenced Thursday to three years of federal probation in connection with a conspiracy to traffic more than 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pa.

According to court records, Gilbert was recruited to purchase firearms for the trafficking conspiracy, which took place from around June 2020 to around July 2021. Gilbert admitted to purchasing two Ruger, Model Ruger 57, 5.7x28-caliber pistols in Beckley on May 10, 2021, for the firearms trafficking ring. Gilbert further admitted to buying at least four firearms for the trafficking conspiracy in April and May 2021.

Gilbert pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms. Gilbert admitted that she falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearms when she knew she was buying the firearms for someone else.

Gilbert is among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. Of the over 140 firearms trafficked in the conspiracy, approximately 45 have been recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.

----Detroit man sent to prison over fentanyl

beckley, w.va. — Eddie E. Kellom, also known as "Ace," 23, of Detroit, Mich., was sentenced Thursday to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.

According to court records, Kellom admitted to selling fentanyl to confidential informants in Raleigh County on four separate occasions between May 21, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2021.

On Jan. 11, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Kellom in Putnam County. The officers found approximately 250 grams of fentanyl in the vehicle. Kellom admitted that he had traveled from Michigan with the fentanyl and planned to distribute it in the Southern District of West Virginia.

----Mich. man sentenced to prison for fentanyl

beckley, w.va. — Darion D. Jackson, also known as "D," 23, of Michigan, was sentenced Thursday to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.

According to court records, Jackson sold a fentanyl on Feb. 8, 2021, to a confidential informant at a Coal City residence where Jackson was staying.

Jackson admitted to distributing that fentanyl and a separate quantity of fentanyl that he sold to another confidential informant in the Coal City area on May 27, 2021. On Aug. 23, 2021, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle driven by Jackson. The officers found approximately 21.1 grams of fentanyl in Jackson's vehicle. Jackson admitted that he possessed the fentanyl and planned to distribute it within the Southern District of West Virginia.

----Drug, confiscation lead to guilty verdict

charleston, w.va. — After three days of trial, a federal jury convicted Mark Bolling, 55, of Charleston, on Thursday of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and illegal possession of a firearm silencer.

Evidence at trial showed that on Sept. 19, 2020, a law enforcement officer in Fayette County conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Bolling and recovered approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of fentanyl, a pistol magazine containing .45-caliber ammunition and $7,000 from the vehicle.

On Sept. 21, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bolling's property on Keystone Drive in Charleston and seized a Rock River Arms, model LAR-15, 5.56mm rifle, a Bryco Arms, model 38, .380-caliber pistol, and a Gemtech, Model HALO, 5.56mm silencer.

The silencer was not registered to Bolling in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Bolling was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions including possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine on Sept. 30, 2019, and transferring and receiving stolen property on Sept. 24, 2018, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

Bolling is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

----Inmate pleads guilty to having weapon

beckley, w.va. — Matthew Jackson, 27, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of a weapon by an inmate of a federal prison.

According to court records, a FCI Beckley staff member conducted a pat-down search of Jackson on Sept. 3, 2022, and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a "shank" in Jackson's underwear. The shank was a piece of metal, approximately 5 inches long, sharpened at one end and with a cloth handle on the other end fashioned from an institution-issued T-shirt. Jackson admitted to possessing the shank and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

----Sex offender pleads guilty to porn crime

charleston, w.va. — Dana Michael Russell, also known as "Anthony Roberts," 36, of Giffithsville, Lincoln County, pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of prepubescent child pornography.

According to court records, Russell possessed two images of child pornography on his cell phone depicting prepubescent minor females subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Russell admitted that one of the images depicted a known child victim.

Russell further admitted to using his cell phone on June 25, 2020, to distribute and attempt to distribute an image containing child pornography using the Snapchat social media platform. Russell also admitted to distributing images containing child pornography using multiple Snapchat and Facebook accounts in June, August and December 2020. One of the Facebook accounts that Russell used had "Anthony Roberts" as the account username.

Russell faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Russell is a registered sex offender as a result of his conviction for distribution and exhibiting of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in Kanawha County Circuit Court on Feb. 19, 2015.