All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Jury finds man guilty of his role in methamphetamine distribution operation

ELKINS, W.Va. – Rocky Douglas Idleman, of Clarksburg, was found guilty this week of methamphetamine distribution and firearms charges after a three-day trial, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Idleman, 39, was found guilty of one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine,” one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine,” two counts of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm,” and one count of “Carry a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.” Idleman committed the crimes from March 2016 to September 2017 in Upshur County and elsewhere.

“I want to thank the jury for their service, our law enforcement partners and our trial team for their hard work,” Powell said. “We will continue to vigorously prosecute those who exhibit violent conduct and distribute illegal drugs in our district. There is no place they can hide.”

Idleman faces 15 years to life incarceration for the charges. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration;  The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force; the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office; the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office; the Buckhannon Police Department; and the Weston Police Department investigated.

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.

Northern District news release.

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