Explosives and fentanyl trafficking charges have been brought against Wesley Allen Armstrong, Jr., a 56-year-old man from Medford, Oregon. According to federal court documents, Armstrong is accused of distributing explosives and fentanyl, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
A federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Armstrong with distributing explosives by a non-licensee, possessing with intent to distribute and distributing fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment came after Armstrong was arrested on March 27, 2024, after selling eight cast explosives, seven non-electric shock tube detonators, and a small quantity of fentanyl to investigators.
On March 27, 2024, detectives from the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE) notified special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) of Armstrong’s alleged possession of and desire to sell explosives. Investigators executed a search warrant on Armstrong’s vehicle and located and seized a loaded pistol and an additional quantity of fentanyl.
Armstrong was charged by federal criminal complaint on March 28, 2024, with dealing explosives without a license, possessing stolen explosives, possessing explosives as a convicted felon, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. He made his first appearance in federal court and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The case was investigated by the ATF and MADGE. It is being prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Armstrong is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be arraigned on the indictment at a later date. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE) is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including MADGE.
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- Diana Petrovic, Drug Trafficking, D. Oregon, 2023 · Idaho
Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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