HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A notorious methamphetamine trafficker has taken a major blow to his operation, pleading guilty to distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Derrell Cashawn Massey, also known as ‘Rell’ and ‘Fat Rell,’ 34, of Detroit, Michigan, admitted to a leading role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the region.
According to court documents, on May 3, 2023, Massey distributed approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Ninth Street residence in Huntington where Massey was living. The confidential informant had called Massey beforehand to arrange the transaction, agreeing to pay $2,000 in exchange for the methamphetamine.
Massey’s participation in the DTO included arranging for quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to be transported from Detroit and other areas to Huntington for distribution. He also distributed at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine to a specific customer in Nitro, West Virginia, and directed other individuals to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to various customers.
The DTO participants used multiple residences to store and distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, including Massey’s Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington. On September 12, 2023, law enforcement officers seized six 9mm semiautomatic pistols at Massey’s residence.
Massey is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. He is among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case, and the remaining defendants are still awaiting indictment.
United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other agencies involved in the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s 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.
The OCDETF program combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations. In this case, the program has dealt a significant blow to a major methamphetamine trafficking operation in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.
Related Federal Cases
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- Detroit Man Jailed for 5 Years in Huntington Methamphetamine Bust · Alabama
- Che Dushon Lark Sentenced to 20 Years for Heroin and Methamphetamine Trafficking · Minnesota
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|
- Source: Official Source ↗
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