BERKELEY COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Three individuals have pleaded guilty to charges related to a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.
Andrew Ross Hose, 40, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, admitted to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Bradley Allen Lopp, 35, also of Bunker Hill, and Marilynn Hope Baker, 27, of Shanks, West Virginia, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy.
Court records and testimony revealed that Hose was the leader of the operation, distributing drugs to others for sale and selling directly from his home.
Lopp and Baker acted as distributors, selling drugs in Berkeley, Hampshire, and Morgan counties.
Hose faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. Lopp and Baker each face up to 20 years.
Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, conducted the investigation.