WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Two individuals have entered guilty pleas for their involvement in a drug trafficking operation that funneled fentanyl from Chicago, Illinois, into the Northern Panhandle region of West Virginia. The pleas were entered in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.
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Stephen Price, 40, of Chicago, Illinois, admitted to eight charges related to the distribution of fentanyl and cocaine. Concurrently, Paula Jean Truax, 44, of Weirton, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base. Court documents indicate that Price and Truax collaborated with other individuals to distribute significant quantities of fentanyl within Hancock County, West Virginia, and surrounding areas. The successful prosecution of this case involved a broad coalition of law enforcement agencies, underscoring the collaborative efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region.
Price faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment for one of his charges, with potential sentences of up to 20 years for each of the remaining counts. Truax could also receive a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. The final sentencing for both individuals will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay.
The investigation and subsequent arrests were the result of joint efforts by numerous law enforcement entities. These included the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, an initiative supported by HIDTA funding, as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service. Local law enforcement agencies such as the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the Brooke County Sheriff’s Office, the Weirton Police Department, and the West Virginia State Police played crucial roles. Assistance was also provided by law enforcement in neighboring Ohio, including the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Steubenville Police Department, as well as the Wheeling Police Department. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided over the proceedings.
The guilty pleas highlight the severe consequences for those involved in the distribution of dangerous drugs like fentanyl. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia continues to emphasize the importance of collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in dismantling drug trafficking networks that threaten community safety.
Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia.
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