BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley woman pleaded guilty today to a federal drug and gun crimes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to conduct a controlled purchase of methampetamine from Candice Nicole Long, also known as “Candace Long,” at her Beckley residence on February 25, 2020. Long possessed a .380 handgun in her waistband at the time she sold approximately 1.5 grams of methamphetamine. On February 28, 2020, officers executed a search warrant on her residence and recovered the firearm.
Long pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and to carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Long faces up to 20 years on the drug charge and a consecutive, mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for the firearm charge when she is sentenced on April 29, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00228.
###