Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crimes

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Catra Nelson, also known as “Trey,” 48, of Zanesville, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least January 2020 to in or around March 2021, Nelson conspired with co-defendant Steven Reger and others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area. On March 23, 2021, Nelson aided and abetted in the sale of approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Parkersburg.

Nelson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

Reger, 48, of Morgantown, was sentenced on August 24, 2023, to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe, Joshua Hanks, and Negar M. Kordestani are 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. 2:22-cr-196.

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