Three Drug Defendants Appear in Federal Court in Huntington

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – – Three defendants involved in various drug offenses appeared today in federal court in Huntington.  Ellis Simmons, Jr., 49, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and prohibited possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  In separate prosecutions, Brandon Ware entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and Shadeed Muhammad entered a guilty plea to attempting to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.    The FBI Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department conducted the  Simmons and Ware investigations.  The FBI Drug Task Force, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the Muhammad investigation.

“I have pledged my commitment to assist the City of Huntington in removing drug dealers from their streets,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “These prosecutions exemplify how hard we are working to do just that.”

In the Simmons prosecution, members of the FBI Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at 2317 Lincoln Avenue in Huntington on September 14, 2015.  During the search, officers located Simmons and two additional individuals inside the residence.  Officers seized approximately 25 grams of heroin and a .22 caliber pistol from a room where Simmons was located during the search.  Simmons was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses and admitted to possessing the gun.  Simmons also admitted that during the month of September 2015, he and others used the residence to distribute heroin. 

In the Ware prosecution, Ware admitted that, from November 2014 to May of 2016, he conspired with others to distribute over 100 grams of heroin in the Huntington area.  Ware frequently received quantities of heroin which had been transported from Detroit on consignment and Ware would distribute the heroin in Huntington.  Ware then returned money from the sales to the source of the heroin from Detroit.  Ware admitted that he was responsible for the distribution of up to 400 grams of heroin during the conspiracy.

In the Muhammad prosecution, Muhammad admitted that he mailed approximately one pound of methamphetamine from a post office in California to a residence in West Huntington on April 13, 2016.  When the package arrived at the Huntington Post Office the next day, Postal Inspectors seized the package and discovered that it contained methamphetamine.  Muhammad admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to an individual who was to receive the package at the West Huntington residence.

Ware faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison and Muhammad faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison when they are sentenced on October 7, 2019.

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecutions.  United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings.