Malachi Brian Maurice Younger, a 23-year-old from Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty on Apr. 21 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and fentanyl.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address the spread of illicit drugs in the region. Fentanyl’s extreme lethality has led it to be designated as a weapon of mass destruction by President Donald Trump due to its significant threat even in small amounts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Younger was involved in distributing illegal drugs across Berkeley County, West Virginia. On March 28, 2024, law enforcement officers seized large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, packaging materials, a digital scale, razor blades, and cash from a stolen Jeep that Younger was operating. In the following months investigators observed Younger making hand-to-hand drug transactions in both Maryland and West Virginia using a stolen black Jaguar SUV. On July 27, 2024 he fled Pennsylvania State Police but was later found with additional fentanyl mixtures, oxycodone pills, drug paraphernalia and cash.
Younger will be sentenced at a future date. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case for the government while the Drug Enforcement Administration-Hagerstown conducted the investigation. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over proceedings.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations through Department of Justice resources.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia serves as part of the United States Department of Justice according to its official website. The office prosecutes federal crimes and manages civil litigation on behalf of the United States according to its official website. It also promotes community safety through outreach programs and crime prevention efforts throughout northern West Virginia according to its official website.
The office maintains staffed locations in Wheeling, Clarksburg, Elkins and Martinsburg covering judicial needs across 32 counties according to its official website. It partners with federal state and local law enforcement through initiatives such as Project Safe Neighborhoods according to its official website.
