Thursday, December 13, 2018

Milton Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin/Fentanyl Mixture


HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Milton man caught with a heroin/fentanyl mixture that he intended to sell earlier this year pled guilty yesterday to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Jeremy A. Kinder, 39, entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute heroin in federal court in Huntington.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.

“Fentanyl is deadly,” said United States Mike Stuart.  “And it’s being mixed with numerous illicit drugs, not just heroin.  We are doing everything within our power to reduce overdose deaths – including prosecuting every readily provable fentanyl case in Cabell County as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.).”

On April 4, 2018, investigators executed a search warrant at Kinder’s residence located at 1113 Amos Street in Milton.  Kinder was in his residence during the search and investigators found 29 grams of heroin in Kinder’s pocket.  Investigators also found over $6,600 in cash and digital scales used to weigh heroin in Kinder’s residence.  Kinder admitted that he intended to sell the heroin in the Milton area.  Kinder also admitted that he had been distributing heroin in the Milton area over the previous four-month period and that he was responsible for the distribution of up to 400 grams of heroin.  The heroin seized during the search was tested by a chemist with the West Virginia State Police Laboratory and was found to also contain fentanyl, a powerful opiate painkiller. 

Kinder faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on March 18, 2019.

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.  The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a focused enforcement effort that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.

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