CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Kanawha County man was sentenced to 1 to 15 years in prison Monday to selling his friend opioids just before his death.
Michael Atkins, 33, of Tornado, previously pleaded guilty to simple delivery. He was originally charged with drug delivery resulting in death after selling heroin mixed with fentanyl to his friend Ravi Megha in 2020. Megha died in Putnam County after taking the drugs. Atkins pleaded guilty to the lesser charge earlier this year.
Kanawha County Assistant Prosecutor George Sitler said both Atkins and Megha had issues with addiction. He said Atkins would sell drugs to support his own drug habit.
“I am a drug addict and I do need help,” Atkins told Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers during Monday’s sentencing. “I think that I can do a lot better than I have and I want to apologize to the court.”
Atkins’ grandmother Rebecca Baird agreed with her grandson during her comments to the court.
“It’s hard. It’s very hard. There can be something that you can see that will click that makes you want to do the drug. I’ve seen it with him. He does need help,” Baird said.
Prosecutors offered Atkins the plea deal to the lesser charge because morphine was also found in Megha’s system following an autopsy. Prosecutors weren’t sure which narcotic caused his death.
Atkins is an inmate at the South Central Regional Jail. Akers gave him 93 days credit for time served.