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Press Release

Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Key Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ronald Lavaughn Mason, 46, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” Mason admitted to his major role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Mason participated in the DTO in April and May 2024, working with other individuals to distribute fentanyl and crack in and around Beckley. Mason admitted that he supplied other individuals with controlled substances that they would redistribute. Mason further admitted to delivering the controlled substances to these individuals at times, and at other times have them come to his Beckley residence to pick up the drugs.

On April 9, 2024, Mason sold co-defendant Tilford Joe Bradley Jr. a half-ounce of controlled substances while they were in Mason’s vehicle in Beaver.  Mason admitted that law enforcement officers conducting surveillance saw him meet Bradley for the transaction, and that he knew Bradley intended to redistribute the controlled substances. Mason further admitted that officers intercepted phone calls and text messages in May 2024 in which he communicated with other individuals about distributing controlled substances.

On May 30, 2024, officers executed a search warrant at Mason’s residence and seized 541 grams of cocaine, 381 grams of fentanyl, and $10,293. Mason admitted that he possessed the seized controlled substances and intended to distribute them.

Mason is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Mason is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. Mason is also among three defendants who have pleaded guilty. The charges against Bradley and the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

“This case and the convictions secured so far are the result of a major investigation that disrupted a significant drug trafficking operation in the Beckley area, and represent how this office and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly and together to protect our communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.

Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

“Illegal drugs are devastating lives across Southern West Virginia, fueling violent crime and eroding the foundations of our community. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to rooting out drug traffickers and bringing them to justice,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The message today is clear: if you bring drugs here, you will be caught and you will be held accountable.”

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program 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. 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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.

 

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Updated October 24, 2024

Topics
Drug Trafficking
Opioids