Justin Andrew Beardsley, Methamphetamine Charge, West Virginia 2021

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a federal methamphetamine charge in the Southern District of West Virginia. Justin Andrew Beardsley, 33, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, on June 1, 2019, the Parkersburg Police stopped Beardsley on Lynne Street in Parkersburg for a traffic violation. After a drug dog alerted on the vehicle, officers searched and found methamphetamine, packaging materials, scales, three loaded firearms, body armor, a hand grenade, and miscellaneous ammunition.

At his plea hearing, Beardsley admitted his intent to sell the methamphetamine and acknowledged that he had sold between 200 and 350 grams of methamphetamine in the year leading up to the traffic stop and arrest.

Beardsley pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 8, 2021. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is handling the prosecution. The case is being prosecuted as part of the Department’s initiative to reduce violent crime in the West Virginia community.

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. 2:20-cr-0060.

Beardsley’s guilty plea is a result of an ongoing investigation by the Parkersburg Police Department and the ATF. The investigation revealed that Beardsley was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg area.

The case serves as a reminder of the dangers of methamphetamine and the importance of law enforcement working together to combat the issue. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute individuals involved in the distribution of methamphetamine.

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