NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
John L. Brownlee United States Attorney Brian McGinn Public Affairs Specialist |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2974 FAX (540) 857-2179 |
February 29, 2008
MEMBERS OF METH CONSPIRACY PLEAD GUILTY
AGREE TO FORFEITURE OF $53,037 IN DRUG MONEY
United States Attorney John L. Brownlee announced today that Lonnie Edward Malone, age 57, of Abingdon, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, to charges related to a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Washington County, Virginia.
“Ridding our communities of drugs and guns is a top priority of my office,” U.S. Attorney John L. Brownlee said today. “This plea will make the community safer by removing another drug dealer from our streets.”
Malone entered pleas of guilty to one charge of conspiracy to distribute fifty grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine and one charge of possession of a short-barreled shotgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
His co-defendant, Valerie Renee Chapman, age 39, of Glade Spring, Virginia, had previously pled guilty to one charge of conspiracy to distribute five hundred grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney, Zachary Lee, a search warrant was executed at Malone’s residence in Washington County on April 15, 2007. During that search, law enforcement agents seized numerous loaded firearms, 37 grams of methamphetamine, and $53,037.00 in United States currency.
One of the firearms seized was a shotgun that had been shortened in a manner that its barrel was less than eighteen inches in length. Additionally, agents seized numerous records reflecting the distribution of narcotics. Further investigation by law enforcement revealed that Malone and Chapman had been distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Washington and Smyth counties between January 2005 and April 2007, and that Malone had numerous sub-distributors that worked for him to distribute methamphetamine.
Sentencing has been set for May 19, 2008, at 1:30 p.m. in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon. Malone faces a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison, a potential maximum term of forty years in prison, and a potential fine of $4 million on the charge of conspiracy to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine.
In addition, he also faces a mandatory minimum term of ten years in prison on the charge of possession of a short-barreled shotgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. This term of imprisonment must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed by the court. Additionally, Malone agreed to forfeit to the United States the $53,037.00 in United States currency and the firearms seized from his residence due to the fact that the money was the proceeds from his drug dealing activities.
Chapman faces a mandatory minimum term of twenty years in prison and a potential maximum term of life in prison, and a potential fine of $8 million on the charge of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Virginia State Police, Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Abingdon Police Department, the Bristol Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bristol Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee of the United States Attorney’s Office in Abingdon prosecuted the case.