Steven Bailey Pleads Guilty in Huntington Cocaine Conspiracy

Steven Bailey, 53, of Charlotte, North Carolina, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine in connection with a multi-state drug ring that flooded Huntington, West Virginia, with narcotics between 2014 and 2016. The admission, made in federal court, marks a key development in a long-running investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

From October 2014 to late February 2016, Bailey conspired with Jerrell Johnson and Roger Page of Huntington, and Trevor Bethel and Ashara Mayes of Atlanta, to supply and distribute cocaine in the area. Bailey admitted to making at least two trips from Charlotte to Huntington, personally delivering cocaine to Johnson and Page. He also acknowledged maintaining a direct line to a drug source in Atlanta, fueling the operation’s supply chain.

On February 20, 2016, Bailey was found at Johnson’s residence in Huntington alongside Trevor Bethel. Later that night, DEA agents stopped him and seized more than $9,000 in cash. Approximately $8,000 of that sum was tied directly to proceeds from cocaine sold earlier that evening. A simultaneous raid on Johnson’s home turned up roughly nine ounces of cocaine—some of which had been freshly supplied by Bailey.

Bailey now faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 3, 2017. The case has already seen convictions for two co-conspirators: Johnson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack and was sentenced to five years. Page admitted to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and received a sentence of three years and one month.

Ashara Mayes, 32, of Atlanta, is set to stand trial on March 14, 2017. She remains presumed innocent until proven guilty. Trevor Bethel, also of Atlanta, is currently a fugitive and remains at large. Federal authorities warn the public not to approach Bethel and urge anyone with information to contact the DEA immediately.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with prosecution handled by Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey. Chief U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers is presiding. This case is part of a broader crackdown by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to dismantle drug trafficking networks in the Southern District of West Virginia and eliminate open-air markets that have long plagued communities like Huntington.