Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Elijah Figg, also known as "Bang," 23, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the use of telephone to facilitate drug trafficking. Figg admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) with ties to the Bloods and Gangster Disciples criminal gangs.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 29, 2020, Figg sold 3 pounds of methamphetamine for $16,500 to an individual in Charleston. Figg admitted to using his mobile device to communicate with the individual to arrange the deal. Figg further admitted that he knew the individual was going to redistribute the methamphetamine.

After the transaction, Figg traveled with four other people to the Beckley area of Raleigh County. Law enforcement officers attempted a traffic stop of the vehicle, and the driver attempted to flee. The pursuit ended when the vehicle struck some utility poles. Officers searched the vehicle and found $18,332 and methamphetamine residue. Figg admitted that the money found included the $16,500 he received from the methamphetamine transaction.

Figg is scheduled to be sentenced on August 31, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Figg participated in a participated in a DTO responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Charleston area. A dozen individuals pleaded guilty in connection with this prosecution, the result of an investigation dubbed “Woo Boyz.” During the course of the nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine, 45 firearms, including an IMI Industries Uzi fully automatic 9mm submachine gun, and more than $375,000 in cash.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the West Virginia State Police, and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is prosecuting the case.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s 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.

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 Nos. 2:21-cr-32 and 2:23-cr-88. 

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