Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced to 84 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jackie Harper, 27, of Charleston, previously pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

“Another convicted felon with a gun dealing meth,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “And another conviction with a significant prison sentence. We will continue to prosecute gun-toting drug dealers to the fullest extent of the law.”

Harper sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on the following dates: August 21, 2018, August 28, 2018, August 30, 2018, September 10, 2018, September 11, 2018, and September 13, 2018. Harper sold a total of 174.6 grams of methamphetamine for approximately $3,000. On September 19, 2018, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) executed a search warrant and seized a gun on Harper. Harper knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his prior felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for malicious assault.

MDENT and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher R. Arthur handled the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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