CHARLESTON, W.VA. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - West Virginia, Southern), published as received.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After a one-day trial, a federal jury convicted Christian Garrett Thornton, 40, of Cross Lanes, on Monday, July 20, 2026, of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at trial showed that on October 29, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Thornton’s Cross Lanes residence. Officers found 662 grams of fentanyl and 162 grams of methamphetamine, having a street value of approximately $50,000, a Taurus model PT709 Slim 9mm pistol, a Taurus model Judge Public Defender Poly .45/,410 revolver, and a Colt model Peacemaker .22-caliber revolver in Thornton’s bedroom.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Thornton knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions on four counts of distribution of a quantity of oxymorphone and one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxymorphone in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 29, 2017.
Thornton is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3, 2026, and faces a minimum of ten years and a maximum penalty of life in prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; up to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and a minimum of five years and a maximum of life in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hurricane Police Department conducted the investigation.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the jury trial. Assistant United States Attorneys D. Keith Randolph and Joshua Hanks are prosecuting the case.
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.
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. 2:26-cr-38.
###
