Joshua Gregory Richardson, Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy,…

Joshua Gregory Richardson, 33, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Beckley, West Virginia, marking another takedown in the federal crackdown on out-of-state drug networks flooding Appalachia with poison. U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart confirmed the plea, signaling a direct hit on a supplier who thought he could operate with impunity across state lines.

The case centers on Richardson’s role as a key meth supplier to a dealer based in Cross Lanes, West Virginia. In December 2016, law enforcement orchestrated a controlled purchase at the dealer’s residence. Minutes after the buy, Richardson arrived at the same house—unaware of the operation—to collect payment for the drugs he’d supplied. Surveillance and timing sealed his fate.

Ohio authorities pulled Richardson over shortly after, seizing nearly $10,000 in cash from his vehicle. Among it: $900 in pre-recorded buy money from that day’s controlled transaction. Digital evidence further tied him to the crime—text messages recovered from his phone detailed negotiations with the West Virginia dealer over meth sales, cementing the conspiracy charge.

U.S. Attorney Stuart didn’t mince words: “Out-of-state drug traffickers need to stay out of our state. Columbus dealers like Richardson aren’t welcome here.” The message is clear—West Virginia is pushing back hard against external drug networks exploiting its communities.

Richardson now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey is prosecuting the case, underscoring the federal commitment to dismantling drug supply chains.

This prosecution is part of a broader offensive by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, targeting pill mills, open-air markets, and interstate traffickers fueling the region’s addiction crisis. With agencies like the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, Ohio State Police, and Coal Grove Police Department in the mix, the net is tightening—one trafficker at a time.

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