Michael Allen Corkhill, 31, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in federal court. According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, Corkhill was involved in a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area from June 2024 to May 2025.
Corkhill admitted he obtained methamphetamine from co-defendant Amanda Marie Mace and redistributed it to customers around Charleston. He also acknowledged distributing methamphetamine on four occasions between October 22, 2024, and January 16, 2025, each time to a confidential informant near South Charleston. Mace was present during one transaction on December 11, 2024.
Corkhill is scheduled for sentencing on April 27, 2026. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.
Both Corkhill and Mace are among sixteen individuals indicted following a federal investigation into the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the region. Six defendants in the main indictment have pleaded guilty so far. Mace, also known as “A,” pleaded guilty on October 8, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; her sentencing is set for March 9, 2026. Four additional defendants pleaded guilty in separate cases related to the investigation. The indictments against remaining defendants are pending; all are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the plea and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which includes several local law enforcement agencies.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
More information about this case can be found by searching Case No. 2:25-cr-78 on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..
“United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.”
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
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