Huntington Drug Dealer Sentenced to Prison
St. Albans Man Sentenced for Identity Theft Ohio Man Sentenced for Escape

HUNTINGTON, WV—Bryon T. Thompson, 38, of Huntington, West Virginia, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to 57 months in prison for distribution of cocaine base. Thompson previously pled guilty in June 2009, admitting he sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant working with task force agents. According to court documents, Thompson sold approximately .26 grams of crack cocaine in exchange for $50 to the informant on March 18, 2008. The drug transaction took place near 9th Avenue and 19th Street in Huntington. Thompson stipulated and the Court found that he was a career offender based upon two prior felony drug convictions. The Huntington Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation and West Virginia State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigations jointly conducted the investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.

St. Albans Man Sentenced for Identity Theft

CHARLESTON, WV—Gregory A. Townsend, 44, of St. Albans, West Virginia was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. to 28 months’ imprisonment for committing identity theft while on supervised release for unrelated, federal fraud charges and for violating the terms and conditions of his supervised release. Townsend previously pled guilty on August 18, 2009, admitting that he had opened up three credit cards in his father’s name without authorization and incurred approximately $34,000 in charges.

Townsend opened three credit cards in his father’s name without authorization in the summer of 2007, while awaiting sentencing on unrelated, federal fraud charges. To further conceal the identity theft, Townsend opened a post office box in his father’s name and directed statements to be delivered to that box to avoid detection by his parents.

This case was prosecuted as a part of the United States Attorney’s identity theft initiative.

Assistant United States Attorney Thomas C. Ryan handled the prosecution. The St. Albans Police Department conducted the investigation.

Ohio Man Sentenced for Escape

Also in Charleston, Robert Laver Padgett, also known as “Snoop,” 32, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday by Chief United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin to 24 months’ imprisonment for escape. Padgett previously pled guilty in September 2009. In June 2009, Padgett, was nearing the end of a 12-year sentence for a Federal drug-trafficking conviction and serving the remainder of his time at Bannum Place, a half-way house in Rand, West Virginia. On June 11, 2009, the United States Bureau of Prisons (BOP) asked the United States Marshal’s Service to take custody of Padgett and transport him from the half-way house to a more secure facility due to Padgett’s violations of BOP program rules. When Deputy United States Marshals attempted to place restraints upon Padgett in preparation for the transport, he ran from the facility. Padgett was apprehended by the Deputies soon after his flight. The US Marshals Service conducted the investigation.