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NEWS BRIEFS
Man sentenced to 2 years for role in drug ring
HUNTINGTON — A Putnam County man will spend two years in prison as part of a Florida-to-Winfield, W.Va., pill conspiracy.
Ryan Carroll Melton, 25, of Fraziers Bottom, W.Va., had pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute oxycodone. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
Melton had signed an agreement that measured his involvement at 1,500 pills and stated he participated in the conspiracy from fall 2010 to February 2011. That included four occasions during which Melton sold an informant 12 oxycodone pills and a 30-30 rifle for $640. Each sell took place at the intersection of W.Va. 34 and W.Va. 817 in Winfield.
A Feb. 3, 2011, search warrant uncovered several stolen firearms from Melton’s residence and one oxycodone pill from his place of business, his agreement states.
The conspiracy involved Melton making cash deposits into his source’s banking account in Teays Valley, W.Va. The source then would ship a package containing pills to Putnam County via FedEx. He received 12 packages in all, the agreement states. Each typically carried 100 pills, however one package contained 400.
Melton provided substantial assistance to federal prosecutors, and that led to the U.S. Attorney’s Office filing a motion for a reduced punishment. Chambers granted the request.
The defense unsuccessfully sought probation, according to a motion filed by Melton’s attorney. It states Melton’s assistance included him recovering fruits of the offense and traveling out-of-state. The willingness to travel placed Melton “at imminent risk of harm,” the motion states.
The defense believed probation was appropriate due to Melton’s assistance and his exemplary record prior to his drug involvement, the motion stated. That included his status as an Eagle Scout and completion of 132 hours credit at Marshall University. Only a capstone project stands between Melton and graduation.
The Charleston-based Metropolitian Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation.
Federal prosecutors had charged Melton through use of a criminal information, a method in which Melton agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and bypass a grand jury indictment.
Other cases in federal court:
Christopher Landric Burton
The defendant pleaded guilty Monday to aiding and abetting in the distribution of crack cocaine. Chambers scheduled sentencing for April 30.
Burton signed an agreement stating he sold 25 grams of crack cocaine to an undercover agent Sept. 23, 2010, at Smokin’ Aces. The location amounted to a fictitious storefront ran by undercover agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with significant help from the Huntington Police Department.
The agreement states Burton accompanied another suspect to the location on Sept. 23. Burton set the price.
Federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss a count of conspiracy, a count of distribution and three additional counts of aiding and abetting, in exchange for Burton’s guilty plea. Some of those dismissed counts involved 138 grams of crack cocaine sold on four occasions in September 2010, according to the agreement.
