Aaron Deshawn Campbell, Distribution of Cocaine Base in Proximity of a Protected Location, West Virginia 2015

Detroit man Aaron Deshawn Campbell, 28, is staring down a federal indictment after being charged with multiple drug offenses in North Central West Virginia. A federal grand jury returned the indictment today in Clarksburg, alleging Campbell distributed cocaine base and heroin in Monongalia County during 2015 — including near a protected location, a charge that dramatically increases potential penalties.

Campbell faces one count of ‘Distribution of Cocaine Base in Proximity of a Protected Location,’ along with separate counts of ‘Distribution of Cocaine Base’ and ‘Distribution of Heroin.’ The alleged crimes occurred between May and June of 2015, a period investigators say saw a spike in open-air drug activity in the area. Authorities have not named the specific protected site, but such locations typically include schools, parks, or youth centers.

If convicted, Campbell could be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison and fined $2,000,000 on the count involving the protected location. Each of the other two counts carries a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars and a $1,000,000 fine. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the final term will depend on the severity of the conduct and any prior criminal record.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley, with investigation led by the Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Task Force — a HIDTA-funded agency focused on dismantling regional narcotics networks. The task force has been instrumental in dozens of drug-related prosecutions over the past decade.

In a separate but equally damning indictment, Los Angeles man Cesar Navarro, 38, was charged with ‘Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine’ for activities spanning from September 2014 to December 2016 in Grant County, West Virginia. Navarro faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 if found guilty. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, suggesting mail may have played a role in the operation.

Both indictments underscore the federal government’s continued push to root out out-of-state traffickers flooding rural communities with hard drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is handling the prosecution in Navarro’s case. As always, an indictment is not a conviction — Campbell and Navarro are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

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