Cross Lanes man pleads guilty to drug charge
Oct. 4—Samuel Manriquez, 37, of Cross Lanes, pleaded guilty Monday to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court records, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Charleston residence on Feb. 17, 2021, where Manriquez was hiding to evade arrest.
Manriquez refused to surrender and, after several hours, was removed from a crawl space beneath the residence's basement floor. Officers found two bags of fentanyl totaling approximately 6.3 grams and $1,620 in Manriquez's left pants pocket.
Manriquez admitted that he intended to distribute some of the fentanyl.
On Jan. 8, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to a 911 hang-up call at Manriquez's residence. Manriquez, a felon, admitted that he struck a female guest in the side of her head with his fist during an argument and then left the residence before officers arrived.
The officers executed a search warrant at Manriquez's residence and found a Walther HK MP5 .22-caliber rifle, a Ruger .22-caliber pistol, parts to a Hi-Point .45-caliber pistol, $4,680 and drug paraphernalia including a scale and aluminum foil with a white powder residue.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Manriquez is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 5 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
