Lamarr Anthony Welch, 35, of Detroit, Michigan, has pleaded guilty to 11 felony drug charges in federal court. Welch admitted his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area. According to court records, he participated in a conspiracy and was involved in distributing more than 651 grams of methamphetamine on several occasions between March and August 2025, as well as 4.4 grams of fentanyl.
Welch’s charges include multiple counts related to the distribution of significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute these substances, and aiding and abetting their distribution. Prosecutors stated that Welch carried out transactions arranged by or at the direction of co-defendants Joshua Willie McCarver (“TJ”), Darnell Marice McCarver (“WAP”), and Geon Lavell Henderson (“Money”). These individuals are among ten people indicted for their alleged roles in the same drug trafficking organization operating from January through August 2025.
Some co-defendants have already pleaded guilty; for example, Darnell Marice McCarver entered a plea on January 6, 2026, with sentencing scheduled for April 13. Charges remain pending against other defendants. The indictment is an allegation only, with all defendants presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Welch faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a possible fine up to $10 million when sentenced on July 6, 2026.
United States Attorney Moore Capito commented: “This defendant repeatedly sold drugs in an already vulnerable community, flooding it with dangerous drugs and profiting from the pain, addiction, and devastation of its residents. He now faces the consequences of his crimes,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “This is another drug trafficking conspiracy dismantled by the incredible work of our law enforcement partners: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and the Huntington Police Department. I also commend Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney for securing guilty pleas from this defendant in all 11 counts against him in the indictment.”
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek added: “Methamphetamine and fentanyl destroy lives in our community. Actively bringing this poison into our neighborhoods fuels addiction and drives violent crime. Removing traffickers from our streets means protecting families who never chose to be touched by these dangerous drugs. The FBI and our partners will never stop holding accountable those who think they can continue to profit from addiction.”
Cabell County Sheriff Doug Adams stated: “This is why we participate and are a part of the Federal Drug Task Force/(Toc-West) when you see the hard work of that unit pay off,” said Cabell County Sheriff Doug Adams. “The men and women of that Task Force do a wonderful job, and this is the result of the work they do to and their efforts to make Cabell County safer for the families that call it home. Hope that this sends a clear message to others that want to plague our county with narcotics that have impacted our community in ways that are unimaginable.”
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over Wednesday’s hearing.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime.
Related case documents can be accessed via PACER by searching Case No. 3:25-cr-154.
