North Carolina man sentenced for federal drug crime in West Virginia

OAK HILL, WV (WVNS) — A North Carolina man was sentenced to prison for a federal drug crime in West Virginia.

According to a press release, 39-year-old Keith Deshon Adams, of Statesville, North Carolina, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, followed by four years of parole, for possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.

Court documents stated that on September 7, 2022, officers performed a traffic stop in Oak Hill where Adams was a passenger in the car. A press release stated that Adams admitted to trying to run after being asked to get out of the car and stand near the front of an officer’s cruiser, and an officer needed to use a taser to stop Adams from fleeing.

As Adams struggled with the officer, he pulled out and opened a plastic baggy of fentanyl from a cross-body bag he was wearing, which caused fentanyl to get on the officer’s clothing, face, and mouth. The officer began suffering from an apparent overdose, according to a press release.

Other officers at the scene arrested Adams, and another officer also suffered from an apparent overdose from the spilled fentanyl. The officers were later treated at the hospital with naloxone.

Adams confessed that the bag he was carrying had controlled substances in it, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and tablets that contained methamphetamine and ecstasy.

Adams’ criminal record includes prior convictions such as unlawful transport of firearms, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and failure to register as a sex offender.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson, who thanked the Oak Hill Police Department, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their work on the investigation.

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