The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia has seen a significant decrease in fentanyl distribution following the sentencing of two key players in a major trafficking operation.
Darien Jacob Horton, also known as “Dee Jae,”, age 25, of Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for his role as a distributor in the operation. Horton purchased large quantities of fentanyl capsules and other drugs for redistribution, and has prior convictions of attempted murder, firearms violations, and domestic battery.
Jennifer Nicole Barthlow, age 41, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for her role as a distributor for Gary Brown, Jr.
Brown, Jr. was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison in May 2025, following an indictment that charged 82 defendants with causing substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. The indictment was returned in January 2024.
The investigation, part of Operation Take Back America, was a nationwide initiative that marshaled the full resources of law enforcement agencies to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government, with U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presiding over the sentencing.
The investigation included agencies from across the Eastern Panhandle, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the West Virginia State Police.
Related Federal Cases
- Jeffrey Phares, Cemetery Fraud, West Virginia, 2023 · Virginia
- Bradley Temple, Unlawful Money Transactions, West Virginia, 2023 · Washington
- Nitesh Ratnakar, Tax Evasion, West Virginia, 2023 · Virginia
- Andrew Brown, Oxycodone Trafficking, Pittsburgh PA, 2023 · Pennsylvania
- Gabriele Wohl Deploys Election Fraud Task Force, West Virginia, 2016 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
