Pittsburgh Man Sentenced For Possessing Fentanyl In West Virginia
Saturday, February 15, 2025, 9:30 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
CLARKSBURG, W.VA.- On Friday, a 40-year-old twice convicted Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania man will be spending the next decade in federal prison after being sentenced for attempting to swallow a bag of fentanyl during a traffic stop in the Northern District of West Virginia.
On Friday, February 14, 2025, Jo-El Torres, 40, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on his previously entered guilty plea of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
According To The U.S. Attorney’s Office
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard and charging documents filed with the District Court, during a traffic stop in Clarksburg, West Virginia, a drug-sniffing canine alerted to the presence of illicit narcotics in a vehicle being operated by Torres. After the canine alerted, Police Officers of the Clarksburg Police Department directed Torres to exit the vehicle.
At that point, Torres attempted to swallow a bag and its contents, but Police Officers were quickly able to subdue Torres and recover the bag from Torres’ mouth. Subsequent field tests and later lab analysis confirmed the bag contained fentanyl and other illicit narcotics were detected. A subsequent records check revealed that Torres has two prior felony convictions for narcotics offenses.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bernard commended the investigative work of the Clarksburg Police Department, the Greater Harrison County Drug Task Force, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police.
