ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) — A Wise County man was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine and possessing firearms illegally, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday.
According to a DOJ release, Justine Kyle Elliott, 33, previously pleaded guilty to the following:
- Conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Last week, Elliott was sentenced to a total of 188 months in federal prison, the release states.
Court documents state the conviction stems from an August 2021 arrest in Coeburn when police responded to a report of Elliott asleep behind the wheel of a vehicle parked in a bank’s drive-thru.
When officers searched Elliott’s vehicle, they reportedly found a “large quantity of methamphetamine and several firearms.”
Elliott reportedly admitted to his involvement in the distribution of methamphetamine throughout Southwest Virginia. According to the release, “Elliott trafficked a large quantity of crystal ice methamphetamine and cocaine into Southwest Virginia over a sixteen-month period, including more than 30 kilograms of meth, some of which was 100% pure.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Coeburn Police Department investigated the case, the release stated.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the ATF’s Washington Division made the announcement on Tuesday.
