Morgantown Man Myers Cops to Heroin Sales Near WVU

Justin Donald Myers, 37, of Morgantown, West Virginia, is headed to federal prison after admitting to pushing heroin within feet of college students at West Virginia University. The conviction hits hard in a region gutted by opioid abuse, where street-level dealers profit off addiction and despair.

Myers sold the deadly drug in January 2016 in Monongalia County—a transaction that triggered federal jurisdiction because the sale occurred within 1,000 feet of a protected location. The heroin itself had been transported across state lines, shipped from Michigan into the heart of Appalachia’s addiction crisis.

In June 2016, Myers pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location,” a charge that carries enhanced penalties due to the proximity to areas meant to be safe zones for youth.

He was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison by U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley in Clarksburg, a penalty meant to reflect both the seriousness of drug dealing near schools and the need for accountability in the opioid epidemic.

The case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a multi-agency unit that’s been grinding down drug networks across northern West Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley handled prosecution for the federal government.

U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, emphasized the ongoing crackdown on drug traffickers exploiting college towns and rural communities. “This sentence sends a message,” Ihlenfeld said. “We’re watching. And we’re coming after anyone who floods our neighborhoods with poison.”