ABINGDON, Va. – A Bristol, Virginia man, convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine following a three-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Abingdon in June 2025, was sentenced this week to 96 months in federal prison.
Christopher M. Sullivan, 31, was convicted in June of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of using a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sullivan is the final defendant in this 20-member conspiracy to be sentenced.
“Methamphetamine has ravaged Southwest Virginia for decades, causing cycles of addiction and misery in its wake,” United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert said today. “We must be vigilant in attacking this issue at its source and bringing to justice those who profit off the addiction of others. I am grateful to our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration and all of our local partners for their work on this case.”
“There has been a large increase in methamphetamine distribution in Virginia in recent years, especially the western part. Local gangs and drug trafficking organizations are not only mixing meth with other substances but are also transforming it into fake pill forms to enhance its marketability,” commented Shane K. Todd, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Washington Division. “I want to express my gratitude to the DEA teams, USAO-WDVA litigators, and our local and state partners for their hard work in investigating, arresting, and prosecuting this individual, who was a clear public safety threat to Virginians.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sullivan conspired with Christopher David Johnson – an inmate in a Georgia state prison – and numerous others to traffic and distribute kilograms of methamphetamine from Georgia into Southwest Virginia.
Johnson used smuggled cell phones to operate a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation from his prison cell in Georgia. Johnson regularly communicated with his co-conspirators using Facebook, WhatsApp, Signal, phone calls, and text messaging to coordinate drug deliveries, set pricing, manage drug quantities, handle recruitment, intimidation, and sales.
Evidence showed that Sullivan regularly communicated with Johnson to accomplish the goals of the conspiracy. Sullivan also distributed methamphetamine for Johnson, wired money to Mexico at Johnson’s direction, and paid Johnson for methamphetamine.
In December 2024, Johnson was sentenced for his role in the conspiracy to 20 years in federal prison – to run consecutive to his state prison sentence – and ten years of supervised release. The eighteen other defendants received prison sentences ranging from three to fifteen years.
United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert and Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the DEA Washington Division made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and multiple law enforcement agencies in Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia investigated the case, including the Bristol (Tennessee) Police Department, the Bristol (Virginia) Police Department, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the 2nd Judicial Drug Task Force, and the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whit Pierce and Corey Hall are prosecuting the case.
