BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – United States Attorney Will Thompson announced on Thursday that a Beckley man has pleaded guilty to his role in a major drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of “crack” cocaine and fentanyl throughout West Virginia’s southern district.
Court documentation, along with statement made in court reveal that 46-year-old Ronald Lavaughn Mason of Beckley had been working with multiple individuals earlier this year to distribute illegal substances throughout the Beckley area. Mason himself confirmed having supplied other individuals with controlled substances which those individuals would then redistribute.
Mason also indicated that he would deliver these substances to the individuals in questions at times, while at other times they would pick the substances up from his Raleigh County residence.
An April 9, 2024, incident Mason selling co-defendant Tilford Joe Bradley Jr. a half ounce of an unidentified controlled substance while under surveillance of law enforcement with the intent of having the substance redistributed. The exchange occurred inside Mason’s vehicle in the Beaver area.
Another instance, which occurred on May 30, 2024, saw the execution of a search warrant by officers at Mason’s residence, where 541 grams of cocaine, 381 grams of fentanyl, and $10,293 were seized by authorities. Mason has admitted to possessing and intending to distribute these controlled substances.
Mason is among twelve individuals who have been indicted on charges pertaining to the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and “crack” cocaine throughout Southern West Virginia between June 2023 and May 2024. Three defendants, including Mason, have pleaded guilty. Mason himself is scheduled for sentencing on February 14, 2025, and will face a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison with a minimum of three years of supervised release, along with a one million-dollar fine.
“This case and the convictions secured so far are the result of a major investigation that disrupted a significant drug trafficking operation in the Beckley area and represent how this office and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly and together to protect our communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson of the development.
The investigation involved contributions from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Beckley-Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit featuring officers with the West Virginia State Police, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and Beckley Police Department.
“Illegal drugs are devastating lives across Southern West Virginia, fueling violent crime and eroding the foundations of our community. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to rooting out drug traffickers and bringing them to justice,” says FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The message today is clear: if you bring drugs here, you will be caught and you will be held accountable.”
