Story by Daniel Woods
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Two West Virginians have been found guilty of participating in what the United States Attorney’s Office calls a “massive drug trafficking conspiracy” in the Eastern Panhandle.
According to federal prosecutors, 53-year-old Lance Wade Cole, 53, of Martinsburg and Damian Costello, 28, of Harpers Ferry were found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, methamphetamine hydrochloride, cocaine, and cocaine base.
Cole, Costello and 80 other defendants were involved in the conspiracy with co-defendant Gary Brown, Jr. operating as the leader of the Baltimore-based drug trafficking operation.
Prior to Thursday’s verdict, 77 defendants had already entered guilty pleas while two, Matthew David Viands of Summit Point and Charles Delroy Singletary of Baltimore, remain fugitives.