A Martinsburg resident has pleaded guilty to charges connected to a fentanyl trafficking operation in Berkeley County, West Virginia. Matthew James Elsea, 43, admitted in federal court to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Elsea collaborated with others to sell significant amounts of fentanyl within the county. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and could result in up to life imprisonment. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is leading the prosecution for the government. The case was investigated by the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, which is funded through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the proceedings.
