Eight individuals were sentenced this week for their involvement in a significant drug trafficking operation that funneled large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. The charges stem from a sweeping indictment filed in January 2024 against Gary Brown, Jr. and 81 others, targeting illegal narcotics distribution across Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
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The sentences handed down reflect the seriousness of the crimes. Eric Garner, 58, of Baltimore, Maryland, received a 300-month sentence, while Gary Rodriguez, 34, of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced to 240 months. Other notable sentences include Benjamin Paul Knotts of Charles Town, West Virginia, with 235 months; Damian Costello of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, with 180 months; and Michael Bradley Decker of Inwood, West Virginia, with 97 months. Lesser sentences were given to Gary Brown, III, 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, who received 36 months; Wendy Diane Crites, 58, of Charles Town, West Virginia, who received 27 months; and Michael Regale Luckett, 47, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, sentenced to 9 months.
This week’s sentencing brings the total number of individuals convicted to 81 out of the original 82 indicted, with 70 having been sentenced so far. One individual, Charles Delroy Singletary, 44, of Baltimore, remains a fugitive.
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The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh oversaw the proceedings. Multiple agencies collaborated on the investigation, including the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, among others. State and local law enforcement across West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia also contributed significant resources.
The investigation was part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration, dismantle transnational criminal organizations, and reduce violent crime. It leverages resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia
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