West Virginia Man Sentenced to Five Years for Drug Trafficking Near Elementary School

A Wheeling, West Virginia, man has received a 60-month prison sentence for his involvement in a drug trafficking operation that extended from Cleveland, Ohio, into the Ohio Valley. Joshua Carney, 32, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base, fentanyl, and heroin. He also faced charges for distributing over 5 grams of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location, specifically Ritchie Elementary School. The investigation into Carney’s activities commenced in January 2024, following reports of drug-related activity at his residence on Wetzel Street in Wheeling.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of individuals departing Carney’s residence, which led to the seizure of more than $5,000 in cash and multiple cell phones. A subsequent search warrant executed at the property revealed Carney and an accomplice concealed within a utility closet. Officers recovered cocaine base and fentanyl from the residence. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, played a significant role in the investigation, which included conducting controlled drug purchases. One such purchase involved Carney selling more than 5 grams of methamphetamine in proximity to Ritchie Elementary School.

Carney is the final defendant to be sentenced in this drug trafficking conspiracy. Three other individuals involved in the operation have already been convicted and received their sentences. Rahim Duncan, 32, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 63 months in prison in October 2025. Terrell Sparks, 30, also from Cleveland, was sentenced in January 2026 to 41 months in federal prison. Tyshaun Johnson, 30, of Wheeling, West Virginia, received a sentence of 115 months in prison in March 2026. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid, and U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided over the sentencing. This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a broader Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating cartels, transnational criminal organizations, violent crime, and illegal immigration. The use of fentanyl, a substance deemed a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality, highlights the serious nature of drug trafficking offenses.

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

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