Joe Dante Townsend, a 32-year-old resident of Detroit, Michigan, has entered a guilty plea to charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. This legal development took place in Huntington, West Virginia.
The incident in question occurred on June 11, 2024. Townsend was traveling as a backseat passenger when law enforcement officers stopped the vehicle on the 1600 block of Ninth Avenue in Huntington. During the traffic stop, officers conducted a search and discovered approximately 499 grams of cocaine inside a backpack located in the backseat. Townsend admitted ownership of the backpack and confessed that he had transported the cocaine from Detroit to Huntington by bus with plans to distribute it for profit.
Townsend's sentencing is set for March 10, 2025. He could face up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and fines reaching $1 million.
United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the guilty plea and praised the efforts of both the Huntington Police Department and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force for their investigative work.
The case hearing was overseen by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney.
For more information about this case, related court documents can be accessed via PACER under Case No. 3:24-cr-115 or found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.