Raleigh County man sentenced for federal gun crime

RALEIGH COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Zachary Ryan Allen, 29, of Beckley, was sentenced for using and carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking activity to five years in prison followed by supervised release.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of West Virginia, “On July 22, 2020, a law enforcement officer stopped a vehicle driven by Allen on Robert C. Byrd Drive in Beckley. During the traffic stop, Allen admitted to the officer that he had a quantity of heroin and a firearm in his car. The officer recovered a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, a set of digital scales frequently used during drug trafficking, a small amount of money, and a Springfield Armory, model 911, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Allen admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs and that the money was proceeds of drug trafficking activity.”

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and 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 consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.