⏱ 3 min read
A massive fentanyl trafficking operation that brought death and destruction from Philly to Morgantown has been dismantled. Rex Jenkins, 34, and James Elli, 43, were sentenced in federal court to 124 and 79 months in prison, respectively. Jenkins and Elli were key players in a larger ring that sold meth, fentanyl, and cocaine in Morgantown, netting over 43 grams of fentanyl, 126 grams of meth, and 4 grams of coke.
The operation, which spanned multiple states, was exposed after a 24-defendant conspiracy conviction. Twenty defendants, including Jenkins and Elli, have been sentenced to a combined 183 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley led the prosecution, with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force doing the heavy lifting. The task force, funded by the HIDTA initiative, brought together members of the FBI, DEA, ATF, and local law enforcement.
Fentanyl, designated as a weapon of mass destruction by President Trump, has been linked to numerous overdose deaths in the Mountain State. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Drug Trafficking
- Defendant: West Virginia
- Location: WV
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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