Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime (DOJ)

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Tabatha Rae Gardner, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 31, 2024, Gardner sold approximately 3.47 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in a garage behind the residence of Gardner's grandmother in Huntington. As part of her plea agreement, Gardner admitted to conducting the transaction.

Law enforcement conducted a total of seven controlled buys with Gardner between December 2023 and October 2025, at two residences in Huntington where Gardner lived at the time. Officers executed two search warrants at one of the residences, in March 2025 and October 2025, and seized more than 40 grams of fentanyl, approximately 3.5 grams of cocaine base, a quantity of methamphetamine, and nearly $19,000 in drug proceeds.

Gardner's mother and co-defendant, Tina Marie Dixon, 53, of Huntington, was sentenced on April 13, 2026, to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as "crack."

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-172.

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