Michigan Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison In Pill Conspiracy

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WHEELING, WV – A Michigan man was sentenced to ten years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute prescription painkillers.

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced that Malcolm TYLER, age 36, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release for “Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone” in the Wheeling area from late 2011 to Spring of 2012. TYLER admitted to being a source of supply of painkillers for a Wheeling-area drug dealer, who then redistributed the pills locally. U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., presided.

TYLER was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution. As a result of this conviction TYLER violated the terms of his state parole and will face additional prison time in Michigan once he has completed his federal sentence.

In a separate matter before Judge Stamp, Charles WILKES, age 28, of Wheeling, was sentenced to 70 months in prison and six years of supervised release for "Distribution of Crack Cocaine within 1,000 feet of the Heritage Port Playground." WILKES was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal.

The TYLER and WILKES cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard and were investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, consisting of officers and agents from the Wheeling Police Department, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, West Virginia State Police-BCI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.