Two men were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization operating from Philadelphia to Detroit and Morgantown, West Virginia, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced on April 30.
The sentencing highlights the continued efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat the spread of illegal drugs and protect community safety. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia promotes community safety through outreach programs and crime prevention efforts in northern West Virginia, according to the official website.
Rex Jenkins, 34, of Southfield, Michigan, received a sentence of 124 months after being convicted by a jury in March 2025 on charges related to fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine trafficking. James Elli, 43, of Point Marion, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 79 months. Prosecutors said Jenkins and Elli were part of a larger operation based in Philadelphia that distributed significant quantities of methamphetamine (126 grams), fentanyl (over 43 grams), and cocaine (more than four grams) into Morgantown.
Twenty-four defendants connected with this conspiracy have been convicted; twenty have been sentenced so far for a combined total of over fifteen years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case.
The investigation was led by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force—a partnership among several federal and local agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; state police; sheriff’s office; prosecuting attorney’s office; multiple municipal police departments—and is funded as part of HIDTA initiatives.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia maintains staffed offices in Wheeling, Clarksburg, Elkins, and Martinsburg to cover its judicial district according to its official website. The office serves thirty-two counties across northern West Virginia according to its official website, operates as part of the United States Department of Justice according to its official website, prosecutes federal crimes while managing civil litigation on behalf of the government according to its official website, and partners with law enforcement through programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods according to its official website.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided over these proceedings.
