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

Michigan to Morgantown drug ring disrupted by federal indictment

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eleven people have been indicted for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that caused large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to flow from Detroit to West Virginia, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.

A 35-count indictment unsealed today alleges that the defendants – eight of whom are from the Detroit area – conspired to sell illicit drugs from October 2020 to February 2022 in Monongalia County and elsewhere.

“We continue to see a significant influx of drugs from Detroit to the Morgantown region,” said Ihlenfeld. “The collaboration by law enforcement agencies in West Virginia with those in Michigan ensures that drug traffickers who operate across state lines will be held accountable.”

Those charged are:

  • William Trice, 31, of Eastpointe, Michigan
  • Rico Crawford, 39, of Canton, Michigan
  • Addonis Moore, 27, of Detroit, Michigan
  • Jovonne Haynes, 26, of Detroit, Michigan
  • Giovanni George, 32, of Taylor, Michigan
  • Lewis Johnson, 34, of Detroit, Michigan
  • Lloyd Vaughn, 27, of Detroit, Michigan
  • Kenneth Jones, 27, of Detroit, Michigan
  • Dayshawn Burton, 26, of Hamilton, Ohio
  • Adrianna Bean, 21, of Morgantown, West Virginia
  • Derrick Hamlet, 27, of Morgantown West Virginia

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration Clarksburg RO; the FBI Clarksburg RA; the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; WVU Police Department; the DEA Cincinnati District Office; the DEA Detroit Field Division; and the FBI Detroit investigated.

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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