CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A St. Albans woman has pleaded guilty to participating in a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the Charleston area, federal prosecutors announced.
Ashley Dawn Smith, 32, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
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According to court documents, Smith admitted that between January and May 2025 she distributed fentanyl obtained from two out-of-town suppliers. Prosecutors said a co-conspirator also redistributed fentanyl supplied by Smith as part of the operation.
Smith is scheduled for sentencing on January 22, 2026. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a potential $1 million fine.
Smith is one of 16 defendants indicted following a sweeping federal investigation into fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025.
Five defendants, including Smith, have pleaded guilty in the main indictment. Four others have pleaded guilty in separate cases tied to the investigation.
The remaining defendants’ cases are still pending. Prosecutors emphasized that an indictment is only an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Moore Capito credited the investigative efforts of the FBI and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which includes multiple law enforcement agencies across Kanawha and Putnam counties.
The plea hearing was overseen by U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a national Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and reducing violent crime.
