Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Firearm Charges

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pled guilty today to federal charges related to the trafficking of methamphetamine and the possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Rahmell Rashaad Thomas, 31, pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

“Convicted felon. Gun. Trafficking a significant amount of meth in the Charleston area,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “With each and every case like this we prosecute, we make our communities safer. And, trust me, our communities are far, far safer than the day I took the oath of office.”

Thomas admitted that he sold approximately four ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant from his residence in Charleston on March 5, 2020. Shortly after that transaction, law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for the same residence and conducted a search. Approximately 341 additional grams of methamphetamine were located inside along with a Lorcin .380 semi-automatic pistol and United States currency. Thomas later admitted to possessing those items and to selling methamphetamine in the Charleston area for at least three months prior to his arrest. Thomas further admitted that he would obtain methamphetamine in one pound increments from a source in Morgantown which he would then bring back to Charleston to sell. At the time of this incident, Thomas was a convicted felon due to a conviction for attempted assault in the second degree in New York. 

Thomas faces up to 50 years in prison when sentenced on November 10, 2020.

The Charleston Police Department, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Marshals Service, conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.