Antonio Shelby Jr., a 33-year-old from Detroit, Michigan, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence was handed down on February 5, 2026.
A federal jury found Shelby guilty on both counts after a two-day trial on August 19, 2025. Evidence presented at trial indicated that Shelby was stopped by law enforcement on January 10, 2024, in the Institute area of Kanawha County. Officers detected the smell of marijuana coming from his vehicle and informed him it would be searched. Shelby fled the scene at high speed, reaching over 100 miles per hour on West Virginia Route 25 and Interstate 64 before crashing while trying to exit I-64 at South Charleston.
After the crash, officers detained Shelby as he exited the vehicle. A loaded Keltec model P3 AT .380-caliber pistol was found under him. Law enforcement also seized more than 60 grams of methamphetamine packaged in multiple baggies, over 100 grams of fentanyl, marijuana, digital scales, and $2,495 from the vehicle.
Shelby’s criminal record includes previous felony convictions for fleeing police and reckless driving resulting in serious injury.
“This defendant possessed and transported distribution-level quantities of lethal drugs into our community while armed. He doubled down on his disregard for our people and their safety by fleeing from law enforcement, creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death to the public and responding officers,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “We are unrelenting in our commitment to attacking the drug crisis with the utmost toughness.”
Capito recognized several agencies involved in apprehending Shelby and investigating the case: Nitro Police Department, Dunbar Police Department, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
Related court documents can be accessed through PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-197.
