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

Man gets life for drug and gun crimes in Upshur County and elsewhere

ELKINS, W.Va. – Rocky Douglas Idleman, of Clarksburg, W.Va. was sentenced Tuesday to life plus 60 months incarceration for methamphetamine distribution and firearms charges, 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” after a three-day trial in October 2018.

Idleman committed the crimes from March 2016 to September 2017 in Upshur County and elsewhere.

“Methamphetamine is an ever-increasing problem in our district and often causes violent behavior,” Powell said. “The addition of firearms further enhances the risk of violence. The life sentence handed down by the court was just and sends a very strong message about how these crimes will be prosecuted. 

“We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who flaunt our laws to the detriment of our communities.”

“Drug dealers with guns are violent criminals who pose an increased threat to the safety of our communities,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Stuart Lowrey of the Louisville Field Division. “ATF, strives to be ‘no better partner’ to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Together, we will continue to aggressively investigate, arrest and pursue prosecution of these offenders. Our shared commitment to reducing violent crime continues to make West Virginia safer for everyone.”

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 Crimes Task Force, composed of the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Elkins Police Department, U.S. Forest Service, and Tucker County Sheriff’s Office; the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes 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.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Wesleyan finishes seventh in MEC Commissioners Cup standings

West Virginia Wesleyan finished seventh in the 2024-25 Mountain East Conference Commissioner’s Cup standings, while the University of Charleston captured its eighth consecutive and tenth overall title for all-around athletic excellence.
Summer basketball

Summer basketball league wraps up week one

The Upshur County Summer Basketball League completed its first week at West Virginia Wesleyan College, featuring high-scoring performances from Dalton Hamrick, Cooper Sanders, Derek Sevier, Manadji Tokindang, and Austin Upton.
BUHS Girls Soccer Feature Image

Kelley calls soccer camp a success, has sights on leading B-U girls program to new heights

Logan Kelley, newly named head coach of the Buckhannon-Upshur Lady Buc soccer team, helped oversee a successful youth camp and aims to bring stability and new achievements to the girls program.

Wesleyan professor collecting first-hand accounts, photos to commemorate 1985 flood

A West Virginia Wesleyan College professor and librarian are collecting first-hand stories and photos from the 1985 flood to create an anniversary exhibit preserving campus and community memories of the disaster.

Pizza shop worker arrested for using customer credit card info to gamble online

A pizza shop employee was arrested after allegedly taking a customer’s credit card information from a food order and using it to make unauthorized bets totaling $300 on an online gambling site.

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital and Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur to hold blood drive on August 15

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital and the Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur will host a blood and food drive on August 15 at the Event Center at Brushy Fork, offering incentives for blood donors.

Buckhannon Water Board Agenda: July 10, 2025

The City of Buckhannon Water Board’s agenda for its July 10, 2025, meeting has been released by My Buckhannon.

Upshur County Commission Agenda: July 10, 2025

Here is the agenda for the Upshur County Commission meeting scheduled for July 10, 2025.

Really Really Free Market and Community Potluck scheduled for Sunday, July 13

A community Really Really Free Market and potluck will be held Sunday, July 13, from 1–3 pm at Walnut and Chestnut streets, featuring free goods, services, food and opportunities to connect and volunteer.