CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jack Paskin, 35, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, to nine months for laundering dirty money tied to a West Virginia drug ring. The sentence also includes three years of supervised release. Paskin’s role: washing $337,000 in profits from the illegal sale of controlled substances, specifically marijuana, flooding the Southern District of West Virginia.
Court documents paint a picture of a sophisticated operation. From mid-summer 2019 through August 31, 2020, Paskin wasn’t just shipping packages; he was a key facilitator, moving wholesale quantities of marijuana to Mullens, West Virginia. The deliveries weren’t random. Paskin admitted he followed instructions from Merrick Rice, 45, of Mullens, who was waiting to receive the packages. Rice, in turn, allegedly distributed the drugs throughout the district.
The money flowed back to Paskin. Proceeds from Rice’s marijuana sales were funneled into bank accounts Paskin either directly controlled or had the authority to access. On February 24, 2021, Paskin brazenly withdrew $30,000 in cash – money he knew was tainted by drug sales. He confessed to understanding that both the $30,000 and the other deposited funds were directly linked to illegal activity in West Virginia.
Paskin wasn’t the only one facing justice. Merrick Rice and Miranda Aliff, 33, of Rock Creek, both pleaded guilty on May 7, 2024, to structuring transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements. They attempted to hide $228,000 in illicit drug proceeds by breaking down deposits to stay under the radar. Rice received one year and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Aliff was sentenced to five years of federal probation.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston didn’t mince words, praising the collaborative effort of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in bringing these criminals to justice. This case underscores the federal government’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking organizations and their financial networks.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk handed down the sentence to Paskin. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case. Further details, including court documents, can be found on PACER under Case No. 5:24-cr-122, or on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia. This case serves as a warning: laundering drug money, no matter how cleverly concealed, will be met with federal prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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