Crystal Key Hensley, a 39-year-old woman from Elkins, West Virginia, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for running a drug house out of her residence in 2017. The operation, which turned a quiet home into a hub for methamphetamine distribution, was dismantled after a coordinated federal and local investigation.
Hensley pled guilty in January 2019 to one count of ‘Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises,’ admitting she allowed her Elkins property to be used for the sale and distribution of methamphetamine—commonly known as ‘crystal’ or ‘ice.’ The drug activity was active as of August 2017, according to court records.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner, under the authority of United States Attorney Bill Powell. Federal charges were brought after evidence gathered by law enforcement confirmed repeated drug transactions occurring at the location.
Investigation into Hensley’s activities was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Elkins Police Department. Their joint efforts uncovered the extent of the drug operation and secured the evidence needed for conviction.
Funding and coordination for the investigation came through the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF), which targets major drug networks across state and international lines. The program’s support enabled seamless collaboration between federal and local agencies.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided over the sentencing in Wheeling, West Virginia. Hensley now begins her 30-month prison term, marking another enforcement strike against the opioid and meth crisis gripping rural communities across Appalachia.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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