A man from Kearneysville, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to federal drug and firearm charges. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Bradley Allen Wilt, 44, admitted in court to possessing with intent to distribute at least 28 grams of cocaine base. According to court records and statements during the hearing, police stopped Wilt’s vehicle and found 63.51 grams of cocaine, 169.54 grams of cocaine base, 282 grams of suspected fentanyl, and 12 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride inside. Officers also discovered a .45 caliber handgun in the car. Wilt also pleaded guilty to having the firearm in connection with his drug crime.
Wilt could receive a sentence ranging from five to forty years for the drug charge and between five years and life imprisonment for the firearms charge. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering federal guidelines and other legal factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case for the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked on the investigation along with the West Virginia State Police.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice that focuses on eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while aiming to reduce violent crime across communities.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the proceedings.
