HUNTINGTON CRACK DEALER SENTENCED TO OVER 8 YEARS IN PRISON

HUNTINGTON, WV – MICHAEL HARRIS, 37, of Huntington, WV, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to 100 months in prison for distribution of cocaine base. HARRIS previously pled guilty in March 2008, admitting he distributed crack cocaine to an undercover police officer in November 2007. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution.

WAYNE WOMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR TAX EVASION STEMMING FROM HER EMBEZZLEMENT OF OVER $1 MILLION FROM PHYSICIAN’S GROUP

HUNTINGTON, WV – On June 30, 2008, DIANN RICHMOND, 55, of Fort Gay West Virginia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to 30 months imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1.174 million dollars as a result of her plea of guilty to income tax evasion. RICHMOND admitted in February 2008 that she had embezzled over $1.74 million from the Huntington Emergency Physician's Group from 2000 through 2004. RICHMOND was employed to handle the Group's payroll and billing when working for an accountant in Huntington, West Virginia. RICHMOND failed to pay over $300,000.00 of taxes resulting in her conviction for income tax evasion. In sentencing RICHMOND, Judge Chambers noted that the sentence took into consideration the fact that she employed sophisticated means by using a fictitious entity to commit her crime. Following her 30 month term of imprisonment RICHMOND will serve five years on supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Huntington Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Susan M. Robinson handled the prosecution.

DOCTOR AND ESTRANGED WIFE SENTENCED ON DRUG CHARGES

CHARLESTON, WV – DR. ROBERT J. CRAKE, 39, of Parkersburg, WV, and his estranged wife, LAURA CRAKE, 32, of Danville, WV, were each sentenced yesterday by Chief United States District Judge Joseph Robert Goodwin to 36 months probation. LAURA CRAKE previously pled guilty in March 2008, to obtaining hydrocodone by fraud. ROBERT CRAKE pled guilty to possession of phentermine.

DR. CRAKE, while in medical school, asked his wife, an LPN, to obtain diet pills for him without seeing a physician. LAURA CRAKE was employed by a medical practice in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and was able to utilize the name of a doctor in the practice to obtain the diet drug requested without the authority of a physician. During her employment with the medical practice, LAURA CRAKE wrote or called in prescriptions for hydrocodone in her name, as well as in the names of various other family members, without authority and in order to support her own drug habit.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Monica K. Schwartz handled the prosecution.