Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Damon Shawn Bailes Jr., also known as “Paper,” 31, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Bailes in the area of 19th Street and Rural Road in Huntington on a warrant for a parole violation. Officers found 76 grams of fentanyl, $365 and a loaded SIG Sauer SP2022 handgun on Bailes’ person. Bailes admitted that he possessed the fentanyl and intended to sell it.

Bailes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of  five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.

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. 3:22-cr-114.

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