Federal Jury Convicts Charleston Man of Fentanyl and Gun Crimes

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After three days of trial, a federal jury convicted Andre Dewayne Williamson, also known as “A3,” 35, of Charleston, of five counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Evidence at trial proved that Williamson sold quantities of fentanyl to a confidential informant on five occasions in Charleston between July 5, 2022, and July 25, 2022. Williamson possessed a pistol in furtherance of the July 5, 2022, drug transaction.

Williamson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison.

“This defendant has a troubling criminal history involving violence and drugs, and the crimes in this case show that he continued to pose a threat to the community,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the law enforcement agencies that investigated and assisted in this case. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Julie White and Joshua Hanks and the trial team for securing guilty verdicts on all six counts against the defendant.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation, with assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the jury trial.

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. 2:22-cr-154.

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