Earl Michael Myers, 45, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on January 6, 2026, to charges of distribution of cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Court documents and statements indicate that on June 25, 2025, Myers sold crack cocaine for $170 and two firearms—a Taurus Public Defender Judge revolver for $400 and a Smith & Wesson SD9VE pistol for $600—to a confidential informant at his Huntington residence. Myers arranged the transaction after showing the informant the firearms and discussing quantities and prices of crack cocaine. Laboratory analysis confirmed that the substance sold included 1.5 grams of crack.
Myers is set for sentencing on May 4, 2026. He faces up to 20 years in prison for distribution of cocaine base and a mandatory minimum of five years—up to life—for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Additional penalties include at least three years supervised release and fines up to $1,250,000.
The case is part of broader indictments from March to August 2025 involving alleged conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and methamphetamine in the Huntington area. Co-defendant Erin Leigh Keeney pleaded guilty to distribution of carfentanil on December 15, 2025; her sentencing is scheduled for March 30, 2026. Another individual connected to the investigation, Donovan Dewayne Pauley, admitted guilt regarding possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun; he will be sentenced February 9, 2026. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
United States Attorney Moore Capito acknowledged the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Huntington Police Department, and Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force in investigating the case.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over Myers’ hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting.
According to the press release: “This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
Further details can be found by searching Case No. 3:25-cr-161 on PACER or visiting the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for Southern District of West Virginia.
