ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA — A pair of Randolph County residents have admitted to fueling the region’s methamphetamine crisis by distributing the potent drug across the area in 2017. Patsy Meredith DeMary, 41, of Beverly, and Scott Jackson Hamrick, 38, of Elkins, pleaded guilty to federal charges that expose the gritty underbelly of rural drug trade in Appalachia.
DeMary entered a guilty plea to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,” admitting she played a direct role in the distribution network. Her cooperation confirms a coordinated effort to traffic meth in one of West Virginia’s hardest-hit counties, where overdose rates continue to climb.
Hamrick, also known as “Basic,” admitted to two steeper charges: “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine” and “Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.” He acknowledged having a firearm during a drug trafficking incident in June 2017, a detail that significantly escalates the severity of his crimes and could lock him into a mandatory minimum sentence.
Both DeMary and Hamrick face brutal federal consequences. For the drug charge, each could receive at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison, along with a fine of up to $5,000,000. Hamrick’s firearm count brings an additional mandatory five-year sentence and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the final penalties will hinge on the seriousness of the conduct and any prior criminal history.
The case was investigated by a sprawling coalition of law enforcement: the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crime Task Force — a HIDTA-funded initiative — the West Virginia State Police, and multiple county sheriff’s offices and municipal police departments. The probe was funded through the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF), which targets major drug networks across state lines.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided over the proceedings. As the feds tighten the screws on small-town drug operations, DeMary and Hamrick’s admissions mark another chapter in the long war against Appalachian meth.
Related Federal Cases
- Morgan Light, 24, Pleads Guilty in Meth Conspiracy · Virginia
- Miguel Alejandro Robles-Ibarra Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy · Virginia
- Elkins Man David Maxwell, 31, Pleads Guilty to Meth Distribution · West Virginia
- Christina Crites, Joseph Muster Cop Meth Charges in Elkins · West Virginia
- Beckley Man Gets 20 Years in Meth Conspiracy · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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