MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Two local men have copped to feeding the opioid crisis in Berkeley County, admitting they pushed heroin into the community in 2015. Christopher Deshaun Walker, 28, and Henry Aaron Shepherd, 36, both of Martinsburg, West Virginia, were sentenced today to five years probation each after pleading guilty to federal drug charges.
Walker admitted to distributing heroin in October 2015, directly handling the sale of the deadly narcotic. He pled guilty in November 2017 to one count of “Distribution of Heroin” and now faces five years on probation under federal supervision. The conviction marks another blow in the DOJ’s ongoing crackdown on street-level traffickers in rural opioid hotspots.
Shepherd’s role was no less damaging. He pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Heroin,” admitting he helped another dealer move heroin in November 2015, also in Berkeley County. Though not the principal seller, his support sealed the deal—literally—and earned him the same five-year probation sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul T. Camilletti, who emphasized accountability even for non-prison dispositions. “These aren’t victimless acts,” Camilletti said. “Every bag of heroin sold tears at the fabric of this community.”
Investigation was led by the Eastern Panhandle Drugs & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative targeting high-impact drug operations, with support from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. The collaboration has dismantled multiple distribution rings across the Eastern Panhandle in recent years.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh handed down the sentences today in federal court. While no prison time was imposed, the men will be under strict federal probation for five years—a reminder that even non-custodial sentences carry weight in the government’s war on heroin.
Related Federal Cases
- Maryland Woman Copped to Heroin Distribution in West Virginia · Maryland
- Martinsburg Man Darnell Fitzhugh Admits Heroin Sales · West Virginia
- Detroit Men Caught Flushing 49 Grams of Heroin in Huntington · West Virginia
- Kentucky Courier Gets 51 Months for Heroin & Coke Run · Kentucky
- Beckley Heroin Dealer Gets 27 Months · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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