HUNTINGTON WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL OXYCODONE CHARGE

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jamie Elston, 20, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today in federal court before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to distribution of oxycodone.  Elston admitted that on May 11, 2010, she arrived at the Smokin’ Aces store that was located in Huntington and sold three 80-milligram oxycodone tablets and four 40-milligram oxycodone tablets to an undercover agent working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in exchange for $250. The defendant also admitted to conducting three additional oxycodone sales at the store between May 13, 2010 and June 8, 2010.     

Elston faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine when she is sentenced on October 11, 2011. 

This case is being prosecuted as part of a yearlong undercover operation that targeted illegal drugs and firearms crimes in the Huntington area. The operation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and assisted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Huntington Police Department, and various other law enforcement agencies. It was announced to the public in March after a grand jury returned indictments against 55 defendants.

This case was also prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by various federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, remain committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers in communities across the Southern District. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant United States Attorney Gregory McVey is in charge of the prosecution. 

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