Ohio County Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Distribution Crimes
Monday, September 8, 2025, 6:45 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
WHEELING, W.VA.- Last Wednesday, a 32-year-old Wheeling, West Virginia, man could be facing up to a century in federal prison when sentenced early next year, after pleading guilty to distributing illicit narcotics, including deadly fentanyl, near a Wheeling Elementary School last summer.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard, on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Joshua Carney, 32, of Wheeling, West Virginia, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, Crack Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Heroin; and one count of Distribution of 5 Grams or More of a Controlled Substance, Methamphetamine within 1,000 Feet of Protected Property.
When Sentenced, Carney Faces Up To 100 Years In Prison
Following entering his guilty plea, Judge Mazzone accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for a time and date to be determined by the District Court. When sentenced, Carney faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge. Regarding the distribution charge, Carney faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, with a potential maximum of 80 years, as well as a term of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million.
At sentencing, a U.S. District Court Judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offenses and Carney’s prior criminal history.
According To Charging Information Filed With The Court
According to the charging information filed with the District Court, during an investigation into the distribution of illicit narcotics within Wheeling, West Virginia. Investigators identified Carney and others who were distributing crack cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine in Ohio County, West Virginia. During the investigation, Carney sold more than 5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant near the Richie Elementary School in June 2024.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bernard commended the investigative work of the Ohio Valley Task Force, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Wheeling Police Department for Carney’s arrest and guilty plea.
