Huntington is cracking down on street-level drug dealers after Gerald Harris, 23, of Huntington, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison for distributing heroin to a confidential informant. The sale, totaling nearly 12 grams, went down on Rear Monroe Avenue — a known hotspot for open-air drug trade — as part of a DEA Task Force sting operation on March 22, 2016.
Harris didn’t act alone. Authorities say the transaction was part of a broader network moving narcotics through low-income neighborhoods with alarming regularity. His arrest underscores the federal government’s push to dismantle even mid-tier suppliers feeding addiction in hard-hit communities like Huntington, where overdose rates continue to climb.
In a separate but equally disturbing case, Ashara Mayes, 29, of Decatur, Georgia, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine after transporting a package laced with over 160 grams of cocaine and more than 11 grams of crack from Atlanta to Huntington. The delivery, orchestrated by fugitive Trevor Bethel, paid Mayes $500 to move the drugs across state lines — a dangerous errand with federal consequences.
Mayes delivered the narcotics to Bethel and Jarrell Johnson, whose residence on Rear 9th Avenue served as a drop point in the conspiracy. That house has now been flagged by law enforcement as part of an ongoing crackdown on drug distribution hubs. Johnson was sentenced to five years in federal prison; Bethel remains at large, wanted on federal drug charges.
The DEA led both investigations, working with local task forces to track movements, intercept shipments, and flip lower-level players into cooperating witnesses. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory McVey prosecuted both cases, presenting evidence that painted a clear picture of organized drug movement from urban centers into Appalachia’s most vulnerable towns.
Chief U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings, sending a message that federal courts are watching. These prosecutions are part of a sustained offensive by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to choke off supply chains, shut down trafficking routes, and hold every link — from courier to kingpin — accountable under federal law.
Related Federal Cases
- Darnell Lamar Anderson, Roger Page Sentenced in Huntington Drug Bust · North Carolina
- Marshall County Drug Ring Dismantled in Multi-State Bust · West Virginia
- Huntington Heroin Dealer Gerald Harris Pleads Guilty · West Virginia
- Keri Browning, Charles Walker Face Federal Drug Charges · West Virginia
- Clifford Allen Angle Sentenced · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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