A Martinsburg resident has admitted involvement in a fentanyl trafficking operation in Berkeley County, West Virginia. Matthew James Elsea, 43, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Court documents state that Elsea collaborated with others to sell fentanyl in the area. He now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with the possibility of life imprisonment. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher. The investigation was conducted by the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, which receives funding from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the proceedings.
