Source: Office of United States Attorneys
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three individuals admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization that supplied large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to North Central West Virginia.
Those who entered pleas are:
- James People, II, 28, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, who pled guilty to the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
- Jeffrey Marsh, 45, of Morgantown, West Virginia, who pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and
- William Durnall, 60, of Elkins, West Virginia, who pled guilty to the distribution of methamphetamine;
Durnall also pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in a separate case.
According to court documents, the three defendants were part of a drug trafficking organization, responsible for large-scale distribution in and about North Central West Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Magistrate Michael John Aloi presided.