BECKLEY, W.Va. — A man described as “up the food chain” in the Beckley and Raleigh County drug trade has pleaded guilty to federal charges and faces up to 20 years in prison.
“Ronald Lavon Mason of Beckley entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as ‘crack.’ He’ was a major player in an operation we are calling, ‘Burnt Swag,'” said Will Thompson, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia.
The operation netted a dozen arrests in the Beckley and Raleigh County area. So far, Mason is the third to enter a guilty plea to indictments over the charges. Those arrests were from investigative work done by the Beckley and Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
“He was two or three levels removed from the end user. Getting the drugs into the area from out-of-state and then distributing to people, who re-distributed to those who sold to end users,” explained Thompson in an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline.”
Thompson said he believed the operation made a significant dent in the supply and trade of illegal drugs in the Beckley area and actually impacted a lot of southern West Virginia.
“Illegal drugs are devastating lives across Southern West Virginia, fueling violent crime and eroding the foundations of our community. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to rooting out drug traffickers and bringing them to justice,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The message today is clear: if you bring drugs here, you will be caught and you will be held accountable.”