MARTINSBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Martinsburg man has admitted to his involvement in a drug trafficking operation responsible for distributing large amounts of fentanyl in Berkeley County.
Matthew James Elsea, 43, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.
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Federal prosecutors say Elsea conspired with others to sell fentanyl in the area.
Elsea now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. His final sentence will be determined by a federal judge, based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant legal factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher and was investigated by the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force—a HIDTA-funded initiative—and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the proceedings.
