FROM THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, NORTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA

 

Christopher C. Cozad, of Mount Clare, West Virginia, has been indicted for distributing heroin and illegal possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.

 

Cozad, age 32, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Wheeling on February 7, 2017 for three counts of “Distribution of Heroin” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” The crimes are alleged to have occurred in March and April 2016 in Harrison County.

 

Cozad faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each heroin count. He faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearm violation. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. 

 

The Bridgeport Police are on the Task Force. Chief John Walker is the chairman.

 

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.