Christopher Wigfall, 38, of Randallstown, Maryland, stands convicted of flooding Berkeley County, West Virginia, with lethal doses of heroin. A federal jury returned guilty verdicts Wednesday on two counts of Distribution of Heroin and one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin, following a swift deliberation that lasted less than two hours.
The crimes date back to December 2014, when Wigfall, also known as “Frank,” orchestrated heroin sales in the Eastern Panhandle—an area ravaged by the opioid crisis. U.S. Attorney Bill Powell confirmed the conviction, underscoring the federal crackdown on out-of-state traffickers exploiting rural communities.
The trial, which began February 20, 2018, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, laid bare Wigfall’s role in the drug network. Prosecutors presented evidence that he not only distributed the drug but was caught preparing it for wider circulation—actions that carry a potential 20-year federal prison sentence per count and fines up to $1,000,000.
Wigfall isn’t done facing justice. He’s scheduled for a separate trial in March 2018 on an additional charge: Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Authorities say he was found with a .40 caliber pistol in Berkeley County in March 2015, a weapon allegedly used to protect his illicit trade.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth D. Grant, working jointly with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office. Investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded unit targeting high-impact criminal operations.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the trial. Sentencing for the heroin convictions will be determined under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, weighing the severity of the offenses and any prior criminal record. For now, Wigfall remains in federal custody, awaiting his next court date—and likely, more time behind bars.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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