Grimy Times has learned that Leslie Russell Burney, a 36-year-old man from Groveport, Ohio, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a massive methamphetamine trafficking operation in West Virginia.
According to court documents, on October 20, 2021, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Burney on Interstate 77 in the area of Ripley, West Virginia. After the officer approached the vehicle and asked for his driver’s license, Burney drove off in an attempt to evade law enforcement.
Officers pursued Burney’s vehicle until he pulled off the interstate and fled on foot with a red backpack from his vehicle. Officers located and captured Burney utilizing a K-9 and seized the backpack, which contained suspected methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed that the substance found in the backpack was over 6 pounds of methamphetamine. Burney admitted that he was going to receive payment to deliver the drugs in the backpack, and fled the traffic stop because he did not want the drugs to be discovered.
Burney has a long criminal history that includes prior felony convictions for kidnapping and felonious assault with a firearm.
United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Ripley Police Department, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon and Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Antione Terren Glanton, Methamphetamine and Crack Trafficking, West Virginia 2022 · Virginia
- Amy Lynn Carter, Methamphetamine Trafficking, West Virginia 2023 · Arkansas
- Malik Rashard Fikes, Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking, West Virginia 2026 · Indiana
- Jason Timothy Henry, Methamphetamine Trafficking, West Virginia 2024 · Virginia
- Mark Joseph Dobrzynski, Methamphetamine Trafficking, West Virginia 2020 · Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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