Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Gregory Keith Clinton, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 264 months incarceration for drug and firearm charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

 

After a three-day trial in April 2018, a jury found Clinton, age 57, guilty of one count of “Armed Career Criminal Act,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base,” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride.” He was also found guilty of one count of “Possession of Cocaine Base” and one count of “Possession of Cocaine.” Clinton, having previously been convicted of three felony drug charges, illegally possessed a .45-caliber pistol and possessed crack cocaine and coke in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties in July 2016.

 

“When firearms are combined with drug distribution, bad things happen. Our prosecution once again made clear that we will relentlessly pursue this type of criminal conduct. The sentence is significant and we will continue to be aggressive with our prosecutions,” said Powell.

 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski and Special Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth D. Grant, also with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

 

Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.