Berkeley County Fentanyl Dealer Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Trafficking
Thursday, August 7, 2025, 8:15 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
MARTINSBURG, W.VA.- A 43-year-old Martinsburg, West Virginia, man, and known Berkeley County fentanyl dealer will be facing up to life in federal prison, when sentenced after pleading guilty on Tuesday, for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Matthew James Elsea, 43, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble to an information charging him with Conspiracy to Possess and Intent to Distribute and Distribution of 400 Grams or More of a Controlled Substance, Fentanyl.
Elsea Could Face Up To Life In Federal Prison
Following entering his guilty plea, Judge Trumble accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for a time and date to be determined by the District Court. At that time, Elsea faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and up to life in federal prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
Drug Investigation Leads To Elsea’s Arrest
According to the charging information filed with the District Court, during a narcotics investigation into drug trafficking within Berkeley County, West Virginia, specifically in the Martinsburg area, Investigators of the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force identified Elsea as participating in a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl in Berkeley County, West Virginia.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bernard commended the investigative work of the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which led to the indictment and Elsea’s guilty plea on Tuesday.