Timothy E. Billups, Distribution of Cocaine Base, West Virginia 2017

A Wheeling man is behind bars after pleading guilty to distributing cocaine near a playground.

According to a recent sentencing, Timothy E. Billups, age 26, was sentenced to 15 months incarceration for distributing cocaine near a playground in West Virginia.

The crime occurred in June 2017 in Ohio County, where Billups admitted to selling cocaine near the Jensen playground.

Billups pled guilty to one count of 'Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location' in February 2018.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated the case.

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided over the case.

Billups' guilty plea and sentencing serve as a reminder of the serious consequences of distributing cocaine near protected locations, particularly those where children play.

The investigation and prosecution of this case are a testament to the ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in West Virginia.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/wheeling-man-sentenced-drug-charge