A Hancock County man has admitted to distributing cocaine in the region, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Lavel L. Hicks, 43, of Weirton, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to two counts of “Distribution of Cocaine Base” and four counts of “Distribution of Cocaine Hydrochloride,” as well as one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.”
The charges date back to November and December 2017, and December 2018, when Hicks allegedly distributed the controlled substances in Brook and Hancock Counties.
As part of his guilty plea, Hicks also admitted to possessing a 9mm pistol. His previous conviction for second-degree murder in Brooke County Circuit Court has been taken into account during the sentencing process.
Hicks faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each of the drug-related counts. For the firearms charge, he could receive up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The actual sentence will be determined by the severity of the offenses and Hicks’ prior criminal history, as outlined in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danae DeMasi-Lemon is handling the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, as well as the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, led the investigation.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided over the proceedings.
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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