A pair of West Virginia residents have been sentenced for their roles in a fentanyl trafficking operation in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Courtney Stewart, 30, of Piedmont, West Virginia, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for her involvement in selling methamphetamine and fentanyl in Mineral County and elsewhere. Stewart worked with Nelson Anthony Zambito, who was identified as her drug supplier. Zambito’s home was searched, and officers seized nearly 29 grams of meth and nearly 1 gram of fentanyl.
Stewart’s sentencing occurred on October 2025, after she pled guilty. Zambito, however, is still awaiting sentencing, having pled guilty in October 2025.
In a separate case, Crystal Lyn Lewis, 36, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 40 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Lewis worked with Delano Butler and others to sell fentanyl and other controlled substances in the Eastern Panhandle. The drug operation investigation yielded 30,000 to 40,000 press fentanyl pills, along with 14 firearms, and other illegal drugs.
Butler pled guilty on April 10, 2026 and is awaiting sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
The investigation involved numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the West Virginia State Police, among others.
The U.S. government has designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality, which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
Related Federal Cases
- Jomo Kenyatta Morris, Cocaine Trafficking, West Virginia 2014 · Virginia
- Jennifer McClure, Heroin Trafficking, West Virginia 2014 · Michigan
- Mason Earl Gonzales, Methamphetamine Trafficking, West Virginia 2016 · Texas
- Roy Bills, Marijuana Trafficking, West Virginia 2014 · California
- Brandon Christopher Solomon, Heroin Trafficking and Possession with Intent to Distribute, West Virginia 2016 · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking