Denise Marie Cottrill, Methamphetamine Trafficking, West Virginia 2021

Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Denise Marie Cottrill, 64, of Charleston, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Cottrill admitted to a role in a large-volume drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in Kanawha County. The DTO distributed more than 160 pounds of methamphetamine as well as quantities of fentanyl and other drugs primarily in the Charleston, Rand, and St. Albans areas from March 2019 to September 2021.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Cottrill sold a total of approximately 7.2 grams of methamphetamine to confidential informants on two occasions in January 2021, each time at her Charleston residence. On February 5, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cottrill’s residence and seized approximately 23 grams of methamphetamine. Cottrill admitted that she intended to distribute the methamphetamine.

The investigation targeting the DTO led to the seizure of more than 12.3 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 34 firearms, more than $86,000 in cash, and several vehicles including three motorcycles. The investigation also thwarted a plan by four of the defendants to murder an individual on Charleston’s West Side on July 4, 2021.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the United States Marshals Service, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.

The investigation was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-172.

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