CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Four West Virginia projects were awarded $127,490 in federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grants, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

The funds, which are administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, were awarded by the U.S. Dept. of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, the news release states.

The Charleston Public Safety Council will receive $22,900, the city of Charleston $43,206, the Hope Community Development Corp. $24,000, and the Cabell County Commission $37,384.

Cross Lanes man pleads in oxycodone case

Also on Friday, a Cross Lanes man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.

Phillip Craig Morgan, 28, admitted that he drove Joshua Nunley, who pleaded guilty to drug charges on Thursday, to a an undercover drug deal at a restaurant in Cross Lanes on July 1, the release states.

Morgan later told investigators that he has sold 600 OxyContin pills over a two-year period, according to the release. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to forfeit $7,000 seized from him in March, when he and another person tried to sell 100 OxyContin pills.

Morgan faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on Dec. 4.

Cabell man pleads guilty

in heroin distribution

The funds, which are administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, were awarded by the U.S. Dept. of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, the news release states.

The Charleston Public Safety Council will receive $22,900, the city of Charleston $43,206, the Hope Community Development Corp. $24,000, and the Cabell County Commission $37,384.

Cross Lanes man pleads in oxycodone case

Also on Friday, a Cross Lanes man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.

Phillip Craig Morgan, 28, admitted that he drove Joshua Nunley, who pleaded guilty to drug charges on Thursday, to a an undercover drug deal at a restaurant in Cross Lanes on July 1, the release states.

Morgan later told investigators that he has sold 600 OxyContin pills over a two-year period, according to the release. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to forfeit $7,000 seized from him in March, when he and another person tried to sell 100 OxyContin pills.

Morgan faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on Dec. 4.

Cabell man pleads guilty

in heroin distribution

On Thursday, a Cabell County man pleaded guilty to attempting to distribute heroin.

Paul Edwin Dempsey, 30, of Barboursville, was arrested as part of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Huntington Drug & Violent Crime Task Force. The investigation followed the fatal overdose of a Huntington resident on Sept. 24, 2007, the release states.

Officers found a voice message from "P" left on the phone of the victim. In the message, the caller said he had just returned from Columbus and he had good quality "stuff," according to the release.

A detective called the number back, and arranged to buy $40 worth of heroin, the release states. Dempsey was arrested, and police found six individually wrapped packets of black tar heroin, according to the release.

Dempsey faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced by U.S District Judge Robert C. Chambers on Dec. 15.

Beckley man receives seven years in drug case

Also Thursday, a Beckley man was sentenced to seven years in prison for various drug charges.

Lonnie Sunderland, 21, was sentenced in Beckley by U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

In May, Sunderland pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing crack cocaine, distribution of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, the release states.