BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — 33 people have been named by a federal grand jury, indicted on counts of methamphetamine distribution in parts of Harrison, Marion, Barbour, Upshur, Doddridge, and Monongalia counties.
Some of those named in the indictment are from outside the state.
“The poison being distributed on the streets of North Central West Virginia is taking lives and destroying families,” Bridgeport Police Chief John Walker said. “We see how addiction is affecting crimes in our neighborhoods and making our residents feel unsafe.”
Charges include a 40-count indictment against 19 individuals alleging a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Harrison County and elsewhere between Fall 2017 and September 2018.
- Kedric Pearson, 34, of Waynesboro, Mississippi
- Paul Casto, 55, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Stormy Hawkins, 25, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- William Koch, 33, of Anmoore, West Virginia
- Jacob Wright, 36, of West Union, West Virginia
- Donald Hickman, Jr., 43, of Reynoldsville, West Virginia
- Cody Boley, 24, of Wallace, West Virginia
- Byron Higginbotham, 36, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Jodi Denkenberger, 28, of Mount Claire, West Virginia
- Erica Herron, 37, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- David Weaver, 33, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Taylor Espinoza, 21, of Bridgeport, West Virginia
- Stephen Richards, 40, of Fairmont, West Virginia
- Solomon Cottrill, 32, of Salem, West Virginia
- Nathan Crites, 34, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Russell Clark, 64, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Faith Martin, 20, of Shinnston, West Virginia
- Jesse Pack, 23, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Justin Jackson, 40, of Baltimore, Maryland
“I think this will make a significant dent in some of the methamphetamine dealing that has going on here for quite some time,” U.S. Attorney Bill Powell said. “Unfortunately, these investigations take time, because we not only want to find the local dealers, but we want to find out where the drugs are coming from. And, sometimes, that takes some development time.”
In a separate case, the grand jury indicted 14 on methamphetamine charges, accusing of distributing meth in Harrison County and elsewhere between October 2017 and September 2018. The 27-count indictment includes the following:
- Juwan Floyd, 26, of Tallahassee, Florida
- Kareem Sampson, 29, of Morgantown, West Virginia
- Ramiro Pimentel Jr., 31, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Kelly Wright, 36, of West Union, West Virginia
- Teressa Hall, 33, of Bristol, West Virginia
- Nicholle Knotts, 24, of Philippi, West Virginia
- Chance Ward, 19, of Buckhannon, West Virginia
- Ashley Wagner, 27, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Brittany Miles, 28, of Clarksburg, West Virginia
- Brandon Mays, 30, of Fairmont, West Virginia
- Joshua Langbien, 28, of Buckhannon, West Virginia
- Ann Marie Stankus, 24, of Buckhannon, West Virginia
- Rodney Rowan, 23, of Buckhannon, West Virginia
The following remain at-large:
- Donald Hickman
- Faith Martin
- William Koch
- Erica Herron
- Ashley Wagner
- Russel Clark
- Jesse Pack
- Nichole Knotts
- Kendric Pearson
The government is also seeking forfeiture of four vehicles, a house on Winding Way in Clarksburg, and more than $33,000 seized as a part of the investigation. Law enforcement has also seized 15 firearms.
“This crystal meth amphetamine is pure crystal meth, and it’s a very potent substance and made in laboratories,” Powell said. “So it’s being shipped here.”
The meth is believed to come from California, Florida, Mississippi, and elsewhere throughout the United States.
“We want to know who is supplying drugs into West Virginia,” Powell continued. “Some of them think — I think — because of the size of our state that we’re not going to be interested in prosecuting those kinds of things. Maybe those people are small-time dealers in Los Angeles, but here they would be significant dealers. No matter where they are, we’re going after them — whether they are in California, Mississippi, Florida, or any place else.”
“Cutting off the supply is the big part of the investigation from a federal standpoint.”