Baltimore man admits to drug trafficking charge

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dontaz Lavan Brandon, of Baltimore, Maryland, has admitted to a drug a charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.

Brandon, 23, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.” Brandon admitted to working with another to distribute fentanyl in January 2020 in Berkeley County.

Brandon faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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 is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep.  This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Timothy D. Helman are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated. The task force consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.