MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Seven people are facing charges in a drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Those named in the 16-count indictment are facing charges of distributing controlled substances in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties from October 2019 to April 2020.
Those charged are Michael Pierre Christian, 43, of Martinsburg, West Virginia; Misty Rose Jackson, 33, of Martinsburg, West Virginia; Stephon Robert Christian, 26, of Martinsburg, West Virginia; Charles Jackson, 52, of Winchester, Virginia; Jaime Renee Coddington, 34, of Falling Waters, West Virginia; Justin Clinton, 25, of Martinsburg, West Virginia; and Shane Lee Dirting, 54, of Martinsburg, West Virginia.
The charges are the result of investigations supported by 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the West Virginia Air National Guard investigated.
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.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is a reminder of the ongoing threat of drug trafficking in our communities and the need for continued collaboration between law enforcement agencies to combat this issue.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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