A 40-year-old Wheeling man has been handed a 13-year prison sentence for his role in COVID-19 relief fraud and cocaine trafficking.
Anton Demetrius Matthews was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for wire fraud, cocaine trafficking, and violating the terms of his supervised release.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Matthews obtained nearly $50,000 in CARES Act loans by misrepresenting his income and occupation while he was incarcerated. The 40-year-old submitted a loan application claiming to have established a food truck business in Wheeling in January 2019, despite being in federal prison from November 2016 until October 2020.
Following his release from prison in 2020, Matthews sold cocaine both inside and outside of the Third Alarm Bar on Wheeling Island in Ohio County, authorities said.
“We have noticed an uptick in drug traffickers who are also engaging in white-collar crime, committing acts such as COVID fraud or income tax fraud,” said U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Mr. Matthews is a good example of this trend, and he will pay a steep price for committing two serious, but very different, crimes.”
Matthews was ordered to pay $54,999 in restitution and a money judgment of $49,999. He will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided over the sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennie Conklin and Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Matthews’ crimes are a stark reminder of the dangers of white-collar crime and the devastating impact it can have on individuals and communities.
Related Federal Cases
- Jailbird’s $50K COVID Scam: Wheeling Man Faces Fraud & Drug Charges · West Virginia
- Cocaine Trafficking Sting Nets Ohio Man and Two Wheeling Natives · West Virginia
- Columbus Man Gets 89 Months for Playground Cocaine Sale · West Virginia
- Ohio Man Gets Three-Year Sentence for Crack Cocaine Possession · West Virginia
- Jailed Man Cooks Up $50K COVID Fraud While Behind Bars · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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