Beckley Man Pleads Guilty For Role In West Virginia Drug Trafficking Ring

Thursday, October 31, 2024, 2:45 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

BECKLEY, W.VA.- Today, October 31, 2024, Demetrius Terrell Burns, 32, of Beckley, West Virginia, appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and “Crack Cocaine.”

     Today, during his plea allocution, Burns admitted to playing a pivotal role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack cocaine throughout the Beckley, West Virginia, area and surrounding communities in the Southern District of West Virginia.

     After pleading guilty, Judge Aboulhosn accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for February 14, 2025, at which time Burns faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. The actual term of incarceration will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge based on the seriousness of the offenses and Burns’ prior criminal history.

According To Charging Information

     According to U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and documents filed with the court, in April 2024, Burns received fentanyl from an illicit narcotics supplier in Beckley, West Virginia. The fentanyl was used to supply Tilford Joe Bradley, Jr., a co-defendant of his. Burns admitted on April 12, 2024, he told Bradley over the phone that he received a shipment of “raw” fentanyl.

     Burns further admitted today that he offered to sell Bradley $1,800 worth of raw fentanyl, and the two discussed adding a cutting agent to the fentanyl to make a more significant profit when it was repackaged and redistributed. Burns also admitted on the record that he knew that Bradley intended to sell the fentanyl throughout the Southern District of West Virginia.

Burns Indicted With Others

     Burns is one of 12 individuals federal indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack cocaine within the Southern District of West Virginia from June 2023 and lasting through May 2024. Burns is among four defendants who have pleaded guilty. The charges against Bradley and the others remain pending.

     U.S. Attorney Thompson commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit for the investigation leading to Burns’ arrest and today’s guilty plea.