WVOW News
CHARLESTON A Beckley man pleaded guilty Friday to a federal gun crime.
According to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office, 28-year-old Zachary Ryan Allen admitted to using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statement made in court, Allen admitted he was stopped by a police officer in Beckley while driving on Robert C. Byrd Drive on July 22, 2020. Police officers recovered a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, a set of digital scales , a small amount of money, and a Springfield Armory, model 911, 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Allen further admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs found in his car and that the money consisted of the proceeds of drug trafficking activity.
Allen pleaded guilty to using and carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on July 8, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit is comprised of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.