Michael Dwayne Cosner, a 40-year-old from Elk Garden, West Virginia, has admitted to distributing methamphetamine in Mineral County, federal prosecutors announced. The admission marks the latest blow in a broader crackdown on illicit drug networks feeding addiction and violence in rural Appalachia.
Cosner pleaded guilty to one count of ‘Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine’ for conduct occurring in March 2018. The charge, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia, confirms his role in pushing a drug that has ravaged communities across the state for over a decade.
Now facing up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, Cosner’s sentencing will be shaped by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which weigh the severity of the offense and any prior criminal record. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the guilty plea hearing in Martinsburg.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher, who emphasized the government’s commitment to targeting drug suppliers rather than low-level users. ‘This isn’t about addiction,’ she said in a statement. ‘This is about those who profit from it.’
Investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the West Virginia State Police, and the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force. Their work was funded through the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF), which channels resources to dismantle drug trafficking operations across state lines.
The OCDETF program has become a backbone of federal drug enforcement in high-impact zones like West Virginia, where overdose rates consistently rank among the highest in the nation. Cosner’s case underscores the ongoing battle to stem the flow of meth and other controlled substances into vulnerable mountain communities.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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