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Wetzel Residents Plead To Drug-Related Crimes

By Staff | Aug 27, 2018

Three New Martinsville, West Virginia residents and a Columbus, Ohio man have admitted to involvement in methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin distribution that spanned multiple states, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Alex King, age 33, and Matthew Jackson, also known as “Matt-Matt,” age 22, each pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances.” King and Jackson admitted to working with others to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine from 2016 to April 2018 in Wetzel County and elsewhere.

Todd Jones, age 55, and Cynthia Henries, age 47, each pled guilty to “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Jones and Henries admitted to selling methamphetamine in March 2017 in Wetzel County.

All four defendants each face up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., and Shawn M. Adkins are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol; Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office; the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office; the Sistersville Police Department; the Paden City Police Department; and the New Martinsville Police Department investigated. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit assisted in the case.

The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided over the King, Jones, and Henries cases.

U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided over the Jackson case.