West Virginia Man & Woman Plead Guilty To Drug Trafficking In Beckley
Friday, September 27, 2024, 6:30 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BECKLEY, W.VA.- On Thursday, September 26, 2024, Christopher Michael Shepherd, 48, of Fayetteville, West Virginia, and Kimberly Rosetta Logan, 47, of Beckley, West Virginia, appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, and each pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
During Thursday’s hearing, Shepherd and Logan further admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack cocaine throughout Beckley and surrounding areas within the Southern District of West Virginia.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn, who presided over the hearing, accepted Shepherd’s and Logan’s guilty pleas and scheduled sentencing for January 31, 2025. At that time, Shepherd and Logan both face a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
According to U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and documents filed with the court, on April 24, 2024, Shepherd arranged to exchange around 8.5 grams of heroin with co-defendant Tilford Joe Bradley, Jr., for approximately 8.5 grams of fentanyl. Shepherd met with Bradley at a Beckley gas station and made the exchange later that day.
Law enforcement set up stationary surveillance of the gas station, observed the transaction, and, within minutes, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Shepherd. During the stop, Shepherd admitted that he threw a bag of controlled dangerous substances from his vehicle as investigators were pulling him over. Investigators located the bag, which contained 150 grams of fentanyl, 53 grams of methamphetamine, 1.7 grams of crack cocaine, and $4,007 in cash, following the traffic stop.
Shepherd Admits Guilt
Shepherd admitted to investigators that he possessed the illicit narcotics and intended to sell them throughout the Beckley and surrounding areas.
Logan Admits Guilt
Logan admitted that she sold fentanyl to a confidential informant at her Beckley residence on April 10, 2024. Logan further admitted to distributing fentanyl and cocaine to other individuals while using some herself throughout May 2024. Logan ordered an average of 8 grams of fentanyl and 4 grams of cocaine per week from her Beckley-based supplier by phone during that time, receiving the illicit narcotics at her residence.
Shepherd, Logan, and Bradley are among 12 people who were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack cocaine throughout the Southern District of West Virginia between June 2023 and May 2024.
U.S. Attorney Thompson commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
