A Detroit man was sentenced on April 28 to more than 22 years in prison for leading a drug trafficking organization that sold methamphetamine and fentanyl in Harrison County, West Virginia, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Emmitt Renand Richardson, age 53, received a sentence of 275 months after being found guilty by a federal jury in September 2025 on multiple charges related to methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution. Richardson has prior convictions for drug offenses and operated under an alias during the crimes.
“Richardson’s ability to sell deadly poison to our community has come to an end,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Because of the great work of our drug task force, a jury found him guilty and now he will spend more than two decades in prison.”
The Greater Harrison County Drug Task Force conducted an investigation lasting nearly one year into Richardson’s operation based in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Authorities said Richardson oversaw sales both on city streets and from several residences used as part of the scheme. The case involved almost two kilograms of methamphetamine and more than three grams of fentanyl distributed locally.
Three other defendants pleaded guilty; Randy Joe Jones from Clarksburg was sentenced to just over eleven years for his involvement last October, while sentences are pending for others.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Cogar and Will Rhee prosecuted the case with support from the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, which is funded through HIDTA initiatives.
According to the official website, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia promotes community safety through outreach programs and crime prevention efforts across its jurisdiction, serves 32 counties in northern West Virginia, maintains staffed offices in Wheeling, Clarksburg, Elkins, and Martinsburg, prosecutes federal crimes as well as manages civil litigation on behalf of the United States government, partners with law enforcement agencies through initiatives such as Project Safe Neighborhoods,
and operates throughout the region as part of its role within the United States Department of Justice.
Fentanyl is classified by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality even at low doses. This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative led by the Department of Justice targeting criminal organizations responsible for violent crime and illegal narcotics distribution.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided over this case.
