The Times West Virginian

Local News

May 7, 2009

Defendants sentenced on drug, firearms charges

By Mallory Panuska

FAIRMONT — The Three Rivers Drug Task Force helped in the investigation of several defendants who went to U.S. District Court in the last two weeks.

The task force is made up of officers from the Fairmont Police Department and Marion County Sheriff’s Department and worked with several other agencies on the investigations.

The agencies included the Harrison/Lewis County Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the West Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

On April 20 and 22, Judge Irene M. Keeley sentenced 20 year-old Angelo Melegari of Pittsburgh, Pa., and 25-year-old Kara Hannah of Clarksburg on drug charges.

Melegari, also known as Tyler, was sentenced to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release. He entered guilty pleas to a two-count information charging him with traveling from Shinnston to Pennsylvania with the intent to promote a business enterprise involving cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in January of 2008 and conspiracy to violate Federal Firearms Laws in Clarksburg in February of 2008.

Melegari is currently in federal custody.

Hannah was sentenced to 70 months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release after entering a guilty plea in December of 2008 to one count of an indictment charging her with maintaining a drug-involved house in Clarksburg in March of 2008.

Hannah is currently free on bond and will self-report to a designated federal institution.

Leonard Wygant, 27, of McKeesport, Pa., also pleaded guilty to two counts of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to violate Federal Firearms Laws in Clarksburg in January of 2008 and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base in Clarksburg before Judge John S. Kaull on April 28.

Wygant is currently in federal custody and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on the firearms charge and a maximum penalty of five to 40 years in prison and a fine of $2 million on the drug charge.

E-mail Mallory Panuska at mpanuska@timeswv.com.

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