Charleston Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Trafficking Charge
Saturday, July 26, 2025, 5:30 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
CHARLESTON, W.VA.- A 27-year-old Charleston, West Virginia, methamphetamine dealer will be facing up to life in federal prison when sentenced in November after pleading guilty on Thursday to a federal drug trafficking crime for selling large quantities of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in 2024 in Charleston, West Virginia.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, on Thursday, July 24, 2024, Jason K. Hairston, 27, 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 Thomas E. Johnston to Distribution of 50 Grams or More of a Controlled Substance, Methamphetamine.
Hairston Is Facing Up To Life In Federal Prison
Following entering his guilty plea on Thursday, Judge Johnston accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 6, 2025. At that time, Hairston faces a mandatory minimum of five years, and up to life in federal prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. At sentencing, a U.S. District Judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offense and Hairston’s prior criminal history.
According To The Charging Information Filed With The Court
According to the charging information filed with the District Court, between September 13, 2025, and January 30, 2025, during an ongoing narcotics investigation, Hairston sold around 1.1 kilograms of methamphetamine in exchange for a total of $5,000 during four separate controlled buys under the observation of law enforcement investigators.
During his plea allocution on Thursday, Hairston admitted to the four transactions and further admitted to selling a total of around 61.3 grams of heroin on two occasions for a total of $4,200 and an AR-Style handgun for $1,000 during the four-month time period. Each transaction involved a confidential informant and took place in Charleston, West Virginia.
On February 4, 2025, at the culmination of the investigation, law enforcement Investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant at Hairston’s Charleston, West Virginia, residence. During the search, Investigators located and seized 1,958 grams of methamphetamine, 23.87 grams of crystal meth, six firearms, an assortment of ammunition, items of drug paraphernalia, and $18,057 in U.S. currency.
Acting U.S. Attorney commended the investigative work of Special Agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which led to Hairston’s guilty plea on Thursday.
