Philadelphia man and two Berkeley County residents accused of firearms trafficking

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Philadelphia man and two Berkeley County residents were indicted this week on firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Marcellos Carey Edens, also known as “Camo,” Justin Arthur Davis, and Kristal Rayne Montieth are charged with one count of “Conspiracy” involving the illegal purchase and transfer of firearms from Berkeley County to Pennsylvania in December 2019. According to the indictment, Montieth, 24, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, purchased firearms, making false statements on the ATF form, at the request of Edens, 35, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Davis, 37, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, is accused of transporting the firearms across state lines to Edens in Philadelphia. 

Montieth is also facing two count of “False Statement During Purchase of Firearm.” 

Edens, Montieth, and Davis each face up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the conspiracy. Montieth also faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of the false statement counts. 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.

The government is also seeking the forfeiture of several firearms and ammunition connected to this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy.  Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

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