Maxwell Edward Sanderlin, Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl, West Virginia 2020

BERKELEY COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA – A Berkeley County man has admitted to his role in a drug distribution enterprise, officials said. Maxwell Edward Sanderlin, 33, pled guilty to one count of Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl on February 2020 in Berkeley County.

Sanderlin faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the West Virginia Air National Guard investigated. The Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Kent County Sheriff’s Office assisted.

These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the case.

Sanderlin’s guilty plea is a significant step in the fight against drug trafficking in West Virginia. The efforts of law enforcement agencies in the state and across the country are crucial in reducing the supply of deadly opioids and keeping our communities safe.

The case is part of a larger effort to combat drug trafficking and opioid abuse in the state. As a result of the investigation, 22 people were indicted on charges related to a drug trafficking enterprise that spanned several states.

For more information on the case, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/22-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-enterprise-spanned-several-states.

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