John Harvey Bush Jr., Methamphetamine Trafficking, West Virginia 2020

A St. Albans man was sentenced to 51 months in prison for his role in a multi-state methamphetamine trafficking operation, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

John Harvey Bush Jr., 27, was sentenced to 51 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Bush had previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.

The investigation, which was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, revealed that Bush was part of a larger operation that spanned several states.

On September 4, 2019, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package shipped from Los Angeles, California to a Charleston residence. The package contained over 18 pounds of methamphetamine, which was later determined to be 96% pure.

As law enforcement was delivering the package, the National Guard provided helicopter surveillance of the area. Bush was recorded driving to the residence and taking the package from the front porch. He was then followed as he drove the package to his girlfriend’s residence, where he unloaded and opened the package.

Upon opening the package, Bush discovered there to be only 11.2 grams of methamphetamine and attempted to flush the shipping label to the package. Shortly afterwards, law enforcement knocked on the front door of the girlfriend’s residence, and Bush was arrested as he tried to flee out the back door.

Bush’s cell phone was seized and searched pursuant to a federal search warrant. On the phone were text messages from a Thomas Drew Bess of Florida making Bush aware of the contents of the package, its tracking number, and when it would be arriving. Bess was subsequently arrested in Florida and brought to the Southern District of West Virginia on conspiracy charges.

The methamphetamine was sent to the DEA laboratory, where it tested 96% pure. Law enforcement officers were able to determine that Bess had mailed the package from California. Flight records confirmed that Bess had traveled to California from Florida to mail the package of methamphetamine.

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.

The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Established in 1982, OCDETF is the keystone of the Attorney General’s strategy to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics throughout the United States using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/st-albans-man-sentenced-federal-drug-crime