Beckley Woman Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Conspiracy
Monday, September 22, 2025, 9:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BECKLEY, W.VA.- A 42-year-old Beckley, West Virginia, woman will be facing up to 20 years in federal prison when sentenced early next year, after pleading guilty last Wednesday to a federal fentanyl distribution conspiracy.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Leann Marie Keyes, 42, of Beckley, West Virginia, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Fentanyl.
Following entering her guilty plea, Judge Aboulhosn accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for January 9, 2025. At that time, Keyes faces up to 20 years in federal prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. At sentencing, a U.S. District Court Judge would determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offense and Keyes’ prior criminal history, if any.
According To The Charging Documents Filed With The Court
According to documents and statements made in the District Court, between October 2024 and January 2025, Keyes conspired with another individual, her husband, Justin Scott Keyes, to sell illicit narcotics within the Southern District of West Virginia. During that time, Keyes and her husband sold a total of 12.34 grams of fentanyl on at least four occasions, each time to a confidential informant, during controlled buys under the observation of law enforcement investigators.
Keyes Admits To Selling Fentanyl
During her plea allocution last Wednesday, Keyes admitted to the transactions, and Keyes further admitted that she communicated with the confidential informant about each sale beforehand and that her husband and co-conspirator conducted the hand-to-hand transactions at the Beckley, West Virginia, residence where she and her husband lived.
Keyes’ co-conspirator and husband, Justin Scott Keyes, 36, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, fentanyl, and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Johnston commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh Drug and Violent Crime Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which led to the arrests and guilty pleas by the Keyes.
