A federal jury has convicted Antonio Shelby Jr., 32, of Detroit, Michigan, on charges related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The conviction follows a two-day trial in Charleston, West Virginia.
According to evidence presented at trial, Shelby was stopped by law enforcement on January 10, 2024, in the Institute area of Kanawha County. During the stop, an officer detected the smell of marijuana from Shelby’s vehicle. After being informed that his vehicle would be searched, Shelby fled the scene at high speed, reaching over 100 miles per hour on West Virginia Route 25 and Interstate 64.
The pursuit ended when Shelby crashed while attempting to exit I-64 at South Charleston. Officers detained him as he exited the vehicle. A loaded Keltec model P3 AT .380-caliber pistol was found underneath him. Police also discovered a bag inside the vehicle containing methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, digital scales, and $2,495 in cash. Some methamphetamine was packaged in 17 small baggies.
Shelby has previous felony convictions for fleeing from police and reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury.
He is scheduled for sentencing on January 8, 2026. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could receive up to life imprisonment.
“Shelby endangered the community by trafficking drugs while armed with a gun and also endangered both the public and law enforcement officers when he recklessly fled the traffic stop,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the law enforcement officers who safely apprehended the defendant and those who investigated this case, and I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Jeremy B. Wolfe and our trial team for securing guilty verdicts on both counts in the indictment.”
The Nitro Police Department, Dunbar Police Department, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) participated in Shelby’s apprehension and prosecution.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the trial.
Additional information about this case can be found by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-197 on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..
