Gerald Lee Young, Cocaine and Methamphetamine Trafficking, West Virginia 2024

Two Sentenced for Cocaine and Methamphetamine Trafficking in West Virginia

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – In a pair of federal cases, two men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Gerald Lee Young, 58, of Wintersville, Ohio, was recently sentenced to 77 months in federal prison for possessing cocaine base. The conviction stems from a traffic stop in Weirton, West Virginia, where Young was found to be in possession of 49 grams of cocaine base and $1114 in cash.

A search of his vehicle, which he had been driving the wrong way on a one-way street, revealed the illicit substances. Additionally, officers discovered nearly 2 grams of fentanyl, 1.3 grams of cocaine base, and nearly 9 grams of methamphetamine at two residences Young was associated with. He also had $1,918 in cash and a firearm in his possession.

Young, who has prior drug convictions, is the second defendant to be sentenced in connection with Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations.

James Thomas Howard, 37, of Washington, Pennsylvania, was also sentenced to 77 months for distributing methamphetamine. Howard, also known as “Jim Tom,” sold 32 grams of meth to someone in Marshall County.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted both cases on behalf of the government. The investigations were led by the Hancock Brooke Weirton Drug Task Force and the Marshall County Drug Task Force, each a HIDTA-funded initiative.

The cases are part of a broader effort to combat the scourge of illicit drugs in West Virginia and across the nation. The sentences handed down in these cases serve as a reminder of the consequences of engaging in such activities.

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided over the sentencing hearings for both defendants.

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