HUNTINGTON MAN SENTENCED TO ALMOST FOUR YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR ILLEGAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Huntington man was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison for illegal distribution of prescription painkillers.  Shawn Robert Gallian, 31, of Huntington previously pleaded guilty to distribution of oxymorphone, also known as “Opana.”  Gallian admitted that on January 16, 2012, he directed a confidential informant to come to his Huntington residence in order to complete an illegal pill transaction.  Gallian further admitted that he sold the informant four 40-milligram oxymorphone tablets in exchange for $240.  Gallian also admitted that he obtained approximately 600 40-milligram oxymorphone tablets for distribution in and around the Huntington area. 

The Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. 

This case was 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 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is 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. 

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