Meth Ring Busted in Sistersville

A multi-state drug distribution operation that spanned Wetzel and Tyler Counties has been brought to a close, with two Sistersville residents facing the consequences. Miranda Stewart, age 23, was sentenced to 70 months incarceration, while Michael Shawn Hartline, 34, received a 30-month sentence.

According to the investigation, Stewart pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances in July 2018. She admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base from 2016 to April 2018 in Wetzel County, parts of the southern district of West Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia.

Hartline, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to one count of Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine in July 2018. He admitted to distributing crystal methamphetamine in Tyler County in November 2017.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between several law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the West Virginia State Police. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit also assisted in the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., and Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF), which provides critical federal funding and coordination to help federal and state agencies work together to identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations.

Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., presided over the sentencing hearings. The OCDETF program has been instrumental in bringing major drug trafficking cases to a close, and its funding has been crucial in supporting the efforts of law enforcement agencies across the country.

The bust highlights the ongoing problem of drug trafficking in West Virginia and the need for continued cooperation between law enforcement agencies to combat this issue.

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