Martinsburg man sentenced for drug charge

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph George Ray, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 77 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.

Ray, 56, also known as “YB,” pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute a Heroin and Fentanyl Mixture.” Ray admitted to distributing heroin and fentanyl in August 2020 in Berkeley County.

These charges are 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. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Martinsburg Police Department investigated.

Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.