Martinsburg Man Pleads Guilty To Role Eastern Panhandle Drug Network
Sunday, March 2, 2025, 8:30 A.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
MARTINSBURG, W.VA.- When sentenced, a 55-year-old Martinsburg, West Virginia man will be facing up to life in federal prison after pleading guilty on Wednesday to a federal narcotics distribution offense.
On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, James Reyes, 55, 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 one count of Distribution of Cocaine.
According To The U.S. Attorney’s Office
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher, during his plea allocution on Wednesday, Reyes admitted to working with others in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of cocaine throughout the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Specifically, Reyes admitted to selling quantities of cocaine for the organization.
Following entering his guilty plea, Judge Trumble accepted his plea and scheduled sentencing for a time and date to be determined by the U.S. District Court. When sentenced, Reyes faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in federal prison. At sentencing, a U.S. District Court Judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offense and Reyes’ prior criminal history.
