Elkins Man David Maxwell, 31, Pleads Guilty to Meth Distribution

David Maxwell, 31, of Elkins, West Virginia, admitted in federal court today that he distributed methamphetamine, sealing his fate as the latest player in the region’s relentless drug trade to face federal justice.

Maxwell pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” in U.S. District Court. The charge carries a maximum penalty of twenty years behind bars and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentence will be determined under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, weighing the severity of the offense and any prior criminal record.

Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen confirmed the plea, underscoring the ongoing crackdown on narcotics flowing through central Appalachia. “Distributing poison under the guise of profit ends in prison,” Jividen stated. “This conviction is another crack in the pipeline.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner, who built the government’s case with evidence gathered by the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. Investigators moved in after months of surveillance and controlled buys tied to Maxwell’s known associates.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided over the hearing, where Maxwell showed little reaction as the charges were formally accepted. Sentencing is scheduled for a later date, with pre-sentencing reports now being compiled by federal probation.

Maxwell joins a growing list of West Virginians swept up in federal drug operations as methamphetamine continues to flood into rural communities. Authorities warn that even small-scale distributors now face full federal prosecution—no exceptions, no mercy.

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