Randolph County residents admit to drug distribution

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Elkins, West Virginia residents have admitted to drug charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Jeffrey Lynn Woods, age 58, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute More than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine.” He admitted to conspiring with others to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine, also known as “crystal” and “ice,” from the fall of 2016 to July 2018 in Randolph County.

Crystal Key Hensley, age 39, pled guilty to one count of “Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises.” Hensley admitted to using a place in Elkins to distribute methamphetamine, also known as “crystal” and “ice,” in August 2017.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force; and the Elkins Police Department 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 Michael John Aloi presided.