Eastern panhandle man pleads guilty to methamphetamine trafficking

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Arturo Jimenez De Los Santos, 33, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, pled guilty today to methamphetamine trafficking, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.

De Los Santos was discovered in possession of crystal methamphetamine in October 2015 in Jefferson County, West Virginia. He pled guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” He faces up to 20 years in prison 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.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher, also of the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

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