Beckley Narc Sentenced to Over Seven Years for Meth Distribution

BECKLEY, W.Va. – In a decisive move against drug trafficking in the Southern District of West Virginia, Leondus Whittenburg, 43, from Beckley, was today sentenced to serve seven years and 11 months behind bars for the distribution of at least five grams of methamphetamine.

Whittenburg’s crime spree reached its peak on December 6, 2023, when he sold a staggering 320 grams of the potent drug to an undercover informant in the parking lot of a local business near Eisenhower Drive. The sale marked just one episode in Whittenburg’s long history of felony convictions, which includes multiple counts of drug trafficking.

However, Whittenburg was not alone in his illegal endeavors. He is among four defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case. Phillip Gray, 42, from Oak Hill, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine. His brother, John Gray, 39, also of Oak Hill, admitted to distributing a quantity of the drug. Both are set to be sentenced on September 24, 2025. Daemien Thompson, 39, from Oak Hill, faces similar charges and is scheduled for sentencing on September 26, 2025.

The sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk, while Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell led the prosecution. The successful investigation and prosecution were a joint effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

For more information on this case and related court documents, visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia website or search for Case No. 5:24-cr-31 on PACER.

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