⏱ 2 min read
On August 3, 2024, James Richard Mathis, a 31-year-old Detroit man, possessed over 90 grams of methamphetamine and 20 grams of fentanyl in Dunbar, West Virginia, with the intent to distribute. This was not an isolated incident, as Mathis had been coordinating shipments of large quantities of meth from California. His criminal activities ultimately caught up with him on January 5, 2026, when law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and found over a half-pound of meth and 3 ounces of fentanyl in the vehicle he was in.
The traffic stop was the result of an investigation into a suspicious package delivered to Charleston, which Mathis had retrieved. The package, which had been shipped from California, contained 1 pound of methamphetamine and had cost Mathis $2,600. Following the traffic stop, officers executed a search warrant at Mathis’ Charleston residence, where they found nearly another pound of meth, as well as quantities of cocaine and crack.
Mathis’ sentencing to 9 years in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, was the culmination of a thorough investigation by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the US Postal Inspection Service, the West Virginia State Police, and the South Charleston Police Department. Mathis’ prior convictions for unlawful wounding and controlled substances offenses likely played a role in the severity of his sentence.
The successful prosecution of Mathis is a significant blow to methamphetamine trafficking in West Virginia. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence, which was announced by United States Attorney Moore Capito.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Drug Trafficking
- Defendant: West Virginia
- Location: WV
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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