Charleston Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Fentanyl
Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 8:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
HUNTINGTON, W.VA.- On Monday, January 13, 2025, Jaron Andrew O’Neal, 38, of Charleston, West Virginia, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Chambers to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
Following entering his guilty plea on Monday, Judge Chambers accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2025, at which time O’Neal faces a maximum of up to 20 years in federal prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. At sentencing, Judge Chambers will determine the actual term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offense and O’Neal’s prior criminal history.
According To U.S. Attorney Will Thompson
According to U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and charging documents filed with the District Court, federal investigators obtained a court-authorized search warrant for a package addressed to a Barbourville address after a K9 alerted them to a possible narcotics odor in the package.
During the subsequent search, investigators opened the package and found around one kilogram of fentanyl inside the parcel. Investigators replaced the fentanyl with a fake substance and initiated a controlled delivery to the Barboursville address. On January 24, 2023, O’Neal picked up the package from the Barboursville address, placed it in his vehicle, and drove away.
Investigators initiated a traffic stop on O’Neal’s vehicle, at which time they found the package inside the vehicle. O’Neal was subsequently taken into custody, and during questioning, O’Neal admitted to picking up the package, knowing that it contained fentanyl and the fentanyl was intended to be distributed in the Southern District of West Virginia.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service.
