Tag: Illegal Drugs

W.Va. Names Prison Substance Abuse Control Chief

West Virginia prison officials have tapped a career law enforcement officer to crack down on illegal drug smuggling.

Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety Secretary Jeff Sandy has named Jack Luikart as director of correctional substance abuse control.

The department says in a news release that Sandy will target drug smuggling into prisons, jails and juvenile facilities, help train correctional officers and staff on drug prevention and investigations, and work with high-risk juveniles and young adult inmates.

Luikart retired in February from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office after 30 years of law enforcement service. Luikart focused on drug crimes for much of that career.

The Division of Corrections, Regional Jail Authority and the Division of Juvenile Services operate 26 facilities housing nearly 11,000 adult inmates and about 280 juveniles.

W.Va. Pain Doctor Pleads No Contest to Drug Distribution

A north-central West Virginia doctor has been convicted of illegally distributing prescription pain pills.

U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II says 75-year-old Edita Milan of Fairmont pleaded no contest to maintaining a drug involved premises and four drug distribution counts Tuesday in federal court in Clarksburg. Ihlenfeld says the judge accepted the no contest plea over the government’s objections.

The offenses are punishable by decades in prison and millions in fines, although federal sentencing guidelines likely will call for much less.

Milan ran a pain management office out of Bridgeport. Prosecutors have alleged that Milan was treating more than twice as many patients as she was permitted to treat with narcotics.

Six co-defendants have pleaded guilty to related charges.

Former Mingo Judge Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison

A former Mingo County judge has been sentenced to 50 months in prison for federal corruption charges.

Michael Thornsbury was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Charleston.

Thornsbury pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to deprive George White of his constitutional rights.

The conspiracy charge was related to a scheme to protect the late Sheriff Eugene Crum from illegal drug use accusations.

The sentence was more than the federal sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors had said Thornsbury should receive a lengthy sentence because he abused his power and damaged the county’s judicial system.

Thornsbury’s lawyers wanted leniency, saying he has cooperated with an ongoing federal corruption investigation in the county.

They say his wife divorced him, he lost his law license and pension, and someone burned down his parents’ home.

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