William A. Novick, 35, of McMechen, West Virginia, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl near a protected location, marking another strike in the ongoing battle against the opioid epidemic in Appalachia. The sentence, handed down today in Wheeling, follows Novick’s 2017 guilty plea to a single count of Distribution of Fentanyl in Proximity to a Protected Location.
The crime occurred in February 2017, when Novick sold fentanyl within 1,000 feet of the Center McMechen Elementary School in Marshall County—a designation that triggers enhanced penalties under federal law. By admitting guilt, Novick acknowledged knowingly dealing a substance that has fueled countless overdoses and shattered communities across West Virginia.
United States Attorney Bill Powell confirmed the sentencing, emphasizing that proximity to a school intensifies both the legal and moral weight of the offense. ‘Distributing deadly drugs near children is not just a crime—it’s a betrayal of community trust,’ Powell said. ‘This sentence sends a clear message: we will not tolerate drug dealers poisoning our neighborhoods, especially near schools.’
The investigation was led by the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative targeting high-impact drug offenders in one of the nation’s hardest-hit regions. The task force’s work underscores the federal government’s continued focus on dismantling local distribution networks that feed into the broader opioid crisis.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. prosecuted the case, building on evidence that tied Novick directly to the sale. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided over the sentencing, imposing the 15-month term as agreed upon in the plea deal, which likely spared Novick a longer sentence under federal guidelines.
Novick’s case reflects the grim reality of rural West Virginia, where fentanyl continues to claim lives at an alarming rate. As federal and local agencies double down on enforcement, cases like this serve as both warning and reckoning for those who profit from addiction in America’s most vulnerable towns.
Related Federal Cases
- Herman Terrell Govan Admits to Fentanyl Distribution in WV · West Virginia
- Michaelo Merone Gets 50 Months for Heroin Distribution · Michigan
- Pennsylvania Teen Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution in WV · Maryland
- Huntington Woman Gets 5 Years for Heroin Distribution · West Virginia
- Jose Vidal-Carcamo Gets 13 Months for Cocaine Distribution · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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