HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – In a shocking turn of events, Jaron Andrew O’Neal, 38, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, investigators obtained a search warrant for a package addressed to a Barboursville address after a K9 alerted to the package. Investigators opened the package and found it contained approximately 1 kilogram of fentanyl. Investigators replaced the fentanyl with a sham substance and conducted a controlled delivery of the package to the Barboursville address.
On January 24, 2023, O’Neal retrieved the package from the address and drove away with it in his vehicle. Investigators conducted a traffic stop of O’Neal’s vehicle and found the package in the vehicle. O’Neal told investigators that he retrieved the package believing that it contained controlled substances.
O’Neal is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-85.
Related Federal Cases
- Danielle Ey, Aiding and Abetting Possession with the intent to Distribute Heroin, West Virginia 2024 · Maryland
- Amanda Mae Smith, Heroin Possession with Intent to Distribute, West Virginia 2015 · Maryland
- Moises Gamboa, Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, West Virginia 2024 · Indiana
- Aaron Matthew Reed, Possession of Material Used in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine, West Virginia 2016 · Puerto Rico
- Amanda Marshall, Aiding and Abetting Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin, West Virginia 2016 · Maryland
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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