Story by Owen Sweitzer
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Recently-confirmed US Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, Matt Harvey, makes it his top priority to continue the fight against the drug epidemic throughout the state.
“The northern district per capita has the highest fentanyl prosecutions in the nation and we’re fourteenth in the nation as far as caseload,” Harvey said Monday on MetroNews “Talkline.”
Harvey, who spent 12 years as the Jefferson County prosecutor, said the work will continue to dismantle those organizations.
For Harvey, dismantling the crime that has invaded his home state begins with the prosecutors.
“It’s a credit to the people that are in the office, the career prosecutors doing the good work, being aggressive, and tackling these issues that are facing us,” Harvey said. “There is a drop in overdose rates at this time and I believe that the border policies that President Trump has enacted is helping to curb the flow of illicit drugs.”
Harvey said he’s looking forward to his new role.
“First of all, it’s on a much larger scale because you’re serving multiple counties instead of one and you’re representing the United States government instead of the state of West Virginia.”
“I love West Virginia, I’m born and raised here, intend to remain here,” Harvey said. “I’m concerned like a lot of other people of the brain drain, this is a small way to make our community safe so people will either want to return or remain here.”