Ricky Lee Taylor, Methamphetamine Distribution, West Virginia 2021

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In a major blow to the Huntington area’s illicit drug trade, Ricky Lee Taylor, 58, of Charleston, was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other illegal drugs.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Taylor admitted to arranging a transaction involving cocaine base, also known as ‘crack,’ during a telephone call with an individual in Huntington on May 11, 2021. After the transaction was arranged, Taylor traveled from Charleston to Huntington, met with the individual, and received the drugs. Taylor was subsequently stopped by law enforcement officers on Interstate 64 while returning to Charleston. Officers seized the crack, which Taylor admitted he intended to distribute, and a loaded .40 caliber pistol that Taylor also possessed during the traffic stop.

Taylor previously pleaded guilty to using a telephone to facilitate a felony controlled substance offense. The case is the result of a long-term investigation that disrupted the DTO and its distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine, and crack. All 18 defendants have pleaded guilty.

United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.

The investigation was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-109.

Defendant’s Name: Ricky Lee Taylor

Criminal Charges: Using a telephone to facilitate a felony controlled substance offense

City and State: Charleston, West Virginia

Exact Date: Not specified, but the crime occurred on May 11, 2021

Sentence or Outcome: Two years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release

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