Two Morgantown residents have been sentenced for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in North Central West Virginia, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced on May 15.
The sentencing highlights ongoing efforts to address the impact of illegal drugs in the region. The case involved significant quantities of dangerous substances known to pose serious risks to public safety.
Jeffrey Marsh, age 47, received a sentence of 78 months in prison. Bobbie Jo Phillips, age 39, was sentenced to time served after spending 22 months in federal prison. Both Marsh and Phillips worked within an operation led by Rodney Johnson in the Morgantown area. Authorities searched Phillips’ residence during the investigation and seized a handgun, cash, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia.
Rodney Johnson was previously sentenced to 188 months in prison in March 2025. Out of the total twenty-five defendants charged in this case—including Johnson, Phillips, and Marsh—twenty-three have now been sentenced collectively to nearly two centuries behind bars.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case with investigative support from multiple agencies comprising the Mon Metro Drug Task Force: the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Morgantown Police Department; WVU Police Department; Granville Police Department; and Star City Police Department.
The press release notes that President Donald Trump designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality even at trace levels. The prosecution forms part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative focused on eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while aiming to protect communities from violent crime.
