West Virginia Drug Task Forces Seize Significant Quantities of Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia, nine drug task forces operating within the district have reported substantial seizures of illicit substances over the past year. These efforts have resulted in the confiscation of more than 27 kilograms of fentanyl, 22 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 13 kilograms of cocaine, demonstrating a significant impact on drug trafficking operations in the region.

The task forces making these seizures include the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, the Mountain Region Drug Task Force, the Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Three Rivers Drug Task Force. A majority of these initiatives, specifically eight of them, are supported by funding from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, highlighting a coordinated approach to combating drug crime. These operations are part of a broader national strategy aimed at dismantling drug cartels, reducing violent crime, and addressing illegal immigration.

The Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, Randolph J. Bernard, emphasized the effectiveness of these task forces in improving the quality of life for communities affected by drug-related violence. Recent cases investigated by the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force exemplify the success of these efforts. In one instance, Daniela Marie Giancoli, from Baltimore, Maryland, received a federal prison sentence of 150 months for her role in supplying fentanyl to dealers in West Virginia. Her associate, Michael Matthews, also of Baltimore, was sentenced to 100 months. Their operations, based out of their Baltimore apartment, were linked to the distribution of approximately two kilograms of fentanyl pills, or nearly 9,000 pills, which were seized during the investigation.

Another significant case involved Wesley Neal Carter, a resident of Moorefield, West Virginia, who was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Carter was identified as a supplier of large quantities of methamphetamine to dealers in Hardy County, West Virginia. A search of his property yielded nearly three pounds of crystal methamphetamine. Several individuals who distributed drugs on Carter’s behalf have also been prosecuted and received substantial prison sentences. These include William Flinn, who was sentenced to 195 months; Christian Adam Fisher, sentenced to 144 months; Steven Ray Davy, Jr., sentenced to 14 years; and Keisha Rae Ogline, sentenced to 168 months, all from West Virginia. The investigation also identified Carter’s supplier, Carl Demetrio Valdez of Craigsville, Virginia, who has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

The investigative work leading to these convictions involved a collaborative effort between various law enforcement agencies. Key agencies participating in these cases include the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Moorefield Police Department, the FBI-Baltimore field office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Virginia State Police, the RUSH Task Force in Virginia, and Homeland Security Investigations-Harrisonburg in Virginia. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force itself is a composite of agencies including the FBI, West Virginia State Police, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, the Keyser Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, showcasing a broad coalition dedicated to drug enforcement.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia.

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