Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charges
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 23, 2011 |
HUNTINGTON, WV—Jonathan Lee Sturkey, 25, of Huntington, pleaded guilty yesterday before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to distribution of cocaine base. Sturkey admitted that on March 17, 2009, he arranged to sell crack cocaine to a confidential informant working with the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. The informant met Sturkey at a Chevron gas station located at the corner of 10th Street and 9th Avenue in Huntington. During this drug transaction, the informant gave the defendant $200 in exchange for a tan substance. Testing at the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the substance was crack cocaine, weighing 1.39 grams. In addition to the amount purchased on March 17, 2009, Sturkey is responsible for the distribution of an additional 15.69 grams of crack cocaine, for a total of 17.08 grams.
The Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey is handling the prosecution.