Lincoln County Woman Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery

West Hamlin Woman Admits to Robbing a Hurricane Nursing Home of Prescription Drugs and a Lincoln County Bank of More Than $3,000 in Cash

CHARLESTON, WV—United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Lincoln County woman pleaded guilty in court to federal charges including two armed robberies. Morgan Marie Mullins, 26, of West Hamlin, Lincoln County, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by threats of violence; using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and armed bank robbery. Mullins admitted that on May 2, 2012, she robbed the Teays Valley Center nursing home located in Hurricane, West Virginia.

Mullins further admitted that she used a 9mm pistol when she robbed on-duty employees at the nursing home of numerous controlled substances including prescription painkillers. The defendant was employed at the nursing home at the time of the robbery.

Mullins also pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery. On May 22, 2012, Mullins robbed the City National Bank in West Hamlin, Lincoln County, West Virginia, of $3,003 cash. Mullins further admitted that she used the same 9mm pistol for both the nursing home and the City National Bank robberies.

On May 23, 2012, Mullins gave a voluntary statement to law enforcement officers, where she admitted to robbing the Teays Valley Center and the City National Bank. Law enforcement officers recovered the 9mm pistol from under the defendant’s bed. Officers also recovered a black hat with red and white stripes with the eye holes cut out of it located in an alley near the bank that was robbed in Lincoln County. The defendant admitted that she wore the hat as a disguise during the robberies.

The defendant further admitted that at the time of both robberies, and for the past three to three and one-half years, she has been addicted to oxycodone.

Mullins faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and up to life in prison and a $750,000 fine when she is sentenced on December 5, 2012 by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Steven I. Loew is in charge of the prosecution.

This is being 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.

This case is also being brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.