MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Seventeen local residents entered guilty pleas this week in their roles in a large drug trafficking organization that distributed drugs like fentanyl and meth in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
U.S. Attorney for Northern West Virginia Bill Ihlenfeld says there were a total of 82 people originally charged in connection with the Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization including one of its leaders Gary Brown, Jr.
The investigation said the conspiracy caused substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson counties.
Ihlenfeld said the evidence has been strong against the defendants.
“Thanks to the excellent work of federal prosecutors and local, state, and federal investigators, numerous defendants in this case have accepted responsibility for their crimes and will be held accountable for endangering our communities through the distribution of illicit drugs,”Ihlenfeld said in a Thursday news release.. “There’s more work to be done, but significant progress has been made.”
Those who have pleaded guilty will be sentenced in the coming months. The trial date for the rest of the defendants is Feb. 4, 2025, Ihlenfeld said.
The convicted defendants include:
Zachary Thomas Doman, age 24, of Martinsburg;
Marissa Huntoon-Gregory, 34, of Summit Point;
Connor James McLaughlin, 31, of Ranson;
Alyssa Rose McIntyre, 28, of Harpers Ferry;
Daniel Lee Corbin, Jr., 35, of Martinsburg;
Eric Lyn Custer, 38, of Charles Town;
John Wesley Yates, 36, of Bunker Hill;
Haile Madalynn Speaks, 21, of Charles Town;
Kimberly Ann Barrett, 44, of Harpers Ferry;
Brenda Henry, 57, of Charles Town;
John Ernest LeCluse, 39, of Harpers Ferry;
Michael Lee Engle, 46, of Harpers Ferry;
Joshua Paul Barrett, 44, of Harpers Ferry;
Gregory O’Brien Long, Jr. 26, of Charles Town;
Jeffrey Scott Main, 53, of Harpers Ferry;
Eva Louise Ashbaugh, 25, of Harpers Ferry; and
Kayleigh Nicole Beavers, 38, of Winchester, Virginia.