Antwaun Winbush, a 45-year-old resident of Charleston, West Virginia, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison on July 21, 2025. This sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Court documents reveal that on March 25, 2024, a law enforcement officer attempted to stop Winbush’s vehicle on U.S. Route 35 in Putnam County. Winbush fled at speeds over 100 miles per hour, discarding methamphetamine and marijuana from his car window. Some methamphetamine struck the officer’s patrol vehicle, causing the officer to inhale it through the air vents. The chase ended when Winbush lost control of his vehicle.
Winbush was arrested after the pursuit, and officers recovered some of the methamphetamine from the road. He admitted to possessing approximately 141.8 grams of methamphetamine as part of his guilty plea.
Further criminal activities were noted on October 4, 2021, and December 24, 2023. On October 4, during a traffic stop in Jackson County, officers seized significant quantities of drugs and a firearm from Winbush’s vehicle. In December 2023, a search warrant executed at his residence uncovered more than 500 grams of methamphetamine along with drug trafficking paraphernalia.
“Winbush’s criminal history dates back 30 years and includes 20 adult convictions,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the brave law enforcement officers who safely apprehended the defendant after he endangered their lives and the public with his reckless attempt to flee.” She also praised the investigative work by various law enforcement agencies involved.
The sentence was imposed by Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr., while Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price prosecuted the case.
Related court documents can be found by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-154 on PACER.
