HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two fentanyl traffickers appeared before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers in Huntington this week, announced United States Attorney Will Thompson.
According to court documents, James Lennon Pace, 33, of Huntington, was sentenced to a total of 13 years and eight months in federal prison. On March 16, 2021, Huntington Police Officers executed a search warrant at Pace’s residence on Charleston Avenue in Huntington. Pace was present just prior to the search and arrested on an unrelated warrant. During the search, officers seized a number of items including fentanyl, three firearms, and items used to prepare fentanyl for distribution. Pace admitted that he possessed the firearms and that he intended to distribute the fentanyl. Pace was on supervised release for a prior drug conviction at the time of the offense. In August 2021, Pace pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.
In a separate case, Martez D. Foy, 28, of Detroit, Michigan pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents, Foy admitted that on March 10, 2021, he sold approximately five grams of fentanyl to an undercover informant. Foy also admitted that he sold an additional five grams of fentanyl to an undercover informant on April 13, 2021. Foy faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 11, 2022. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:21-cr-00104/3:16-cr-00065(Pace) and 3:21-cr-00222(Foy).
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