Delano Alan Butler, age 45, has pleaded guilty to leading a drug trafficking operation in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, according to an April 10 announcement by U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Butler admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl—an amount equal to about 200,000 lethal doses—as well as methamphetamine and cocaine.
The case highlights the ongoing threat posed by fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in the region. Authorities say that even small amounts of fentanyl can be deadly and that its distribution presents a serious risk to public safety.
Court documents state that Butler organized a group of six people who sold these substances from a dedicated property in Berkeley County. As part of his plea agreement, he will forfeit several firearms used during the operation, including six semi-automatic rifles, two semi-automatic pistols, and one semi-automatic shotgun.
Four co-defendants have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Butler faces between 180 and 288 months in prison; his sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after reviewing federal guidelines and statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case with assistance from multiple agencies: The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force led the investigation with support from various federal offices such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Postal Service (USPS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with local law enforcement across several states.
Fentanyl was designated as a weapon of mass destruction under President Donald Trump due to its high lethality even in trace amounts. This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations responsible for violent crime and drug trafficking.
