BECKLEY, W.Va. – In a shocking turn of events, 34-year-old Jack Paskin of Nelsonville, Ohio, pleaded guilty to money laundering in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Paskin facilitated the shipment of wholesale quantities of marijuana to Mullens, West Virginia, from mid-summer 2019 to August 31, 2020. Paskin admitted that the shipments were directed to addresses provided by Merrick Rice, who then obtained the marijuana packages following their delivery.
But Paskin’s involvement didn’t stop there. He further admitted that he knew Rice sold the marijuana to other individuals who then distributed it within the Southern District of West Virginia. And to make matters worse, Paskin controlled or had signatory authority over bank accounts that held proceeds from Rice’s marijuana sales.
On February 24, 2021, Paskin withdrew $30,000 in cash from one of the bank accounts he knew held proceeds from Rice’s marijuana sales. Paskin admitted that he knew that the $30,000 and the other deposited funds represented proceeds from illegal drug sales in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Rice, 44, of Mullens, and Miranda Aliff, 32, of Rock Creek, both pleaded guilty on May 7, 2024, to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions. Rice and Aliff admitted to structuring bank deposits of the illicit drug proceeds totaling $228,000 to evade currency transaction reporting requirements, and await sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Paskin is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The case is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of money laundering and marijuana trafficking on our communities.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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