Parkersburg man admits to drug distribution charge

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Jesse N. Perez, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Perez, age 36, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess With the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances.” Perez admitted to distributing methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base in Wetzel County, as well as the Southern District of West Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia from 2016 to April 2018.

Perez faces up to 20 years 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. 

The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.