Huntington Man Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Drug Trafficking Case
Joe Sidney Cross was sentenced to 3 years and 5 months in prison for fentanyl distribution in West Virginia.
By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 9:01 a.m. ET
According to official records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, Joe Sidney Cross, 44, of Huntington, was on August 10, 2026, to three years and five months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence under federal docket number .
Official court documents show Cross admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, cocaine base, and methamphetamine in the Huntington area. Cross admitted to selling approximately 3.5 grams of fentanyl for $220 on May 13, 2025, 8.45 grams on May 22, 2025, and approximately 11.44 grams on June 12, 2025, to a confidential informant. Records also show Cross sold a firearm during transactions on March 20 and March 24, 2025, while co-conspirator Erin Leigh Keeney sold approximately 1 gram of carfentanil during each incident. In addition, officers executing a September 11, 2025 search warrant seized approximately 12.35 grams of suspected cocaine base that Cross admitted he intended to sell.
This case remains open as part of a developing federal investigation in which seven indicted individuals have pleaded guilty. Keeney, 42, of Huntington, is scheduled to be on September 28, 2026, following her guilty plea to distribution of carfentanil. U.S. Attorney Moore Capito announced the sentence, noting the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Taylor following investigative work by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
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