Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Meth, Psilocybin Smuggling

Benjamin Michael Nash, 37, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, admitted in federal court today to attempting to flood his community with nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine and a cache of hallucinogenic candy bars shipped straight from California. Nash pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, capping a failed bid to turn the mail system into a narcotics pipeline.

Court records reveal Nash traveled cross-country in July 2020, buying 875 grams of methamphetamine, 50 boxes of psilocybin-infused candy bars, and 19 pounds of marijuana before packaging the haul for shipment back to Parkersburg. Federal authorities say the stash included additional controlled substances, all destined for distribution across the Mid-Ohio Valley.

The operation unraveled just weeks later. On August 8, 2020, a sharp-eyed United States Postal Service employee flagged the incoming package after detecting the unmistakable stench of marijuana. The USPS Inspection Service moved fast—seizing the parcel and securing a search warrant before it ever reached Nash’s hands.

Inside, investigators found the full payload: a dangerous cocktail of high-demand drugs. The psilocybin candy alone represented a growing trend in designer narcotics targeting younger users. Instead of lining his pockets, Nash now faces up to 20 years in federal prison when sentenced on February 24, 2022.

U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson, who announced the plea, credited the joint efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force. “This case proves that no shipping label can hide a criminal enterprise,” Thompson stated. “We’re watching the mail—and we’re shutting it down.”

Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting. Court documents, including Case No. 2:21-cr-00194, are available via PACER and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia’s website.

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