CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s brother will be on home confinement and probation instead of in federal prison for selling prescription drugs to a federal informant.
U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver sentenced Carl Tomblin, 50, of Chapmanville, Wednesday to eight months home confinement and three years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said federal prosecutors pushed for prison time.
“I believe that prison time is important and has a remarkable effect on focusing the mind especially when individuals have an addiction issue,” Goodwin said.
Tomblin cooperated with prosecutors and made several admissions of guilt. Goodwin said that played into the judge’s decision.
“He told on himself and told what he had been involved with,” Goodwin said. “A lot of the criminal conduct that drove the sentencing guidelines were admissions made by him. The court seemed to weigh that heavily.”
Tomblin sold more than three dozen oxymorphone pills at $100 a piece from May 2013 to Jan. 2014. The deal to the informant happened last December. He sought home confinement so he could continue to get treatment for his drug addiction.