Press Release
Two New Jersey Men Sentenced for Federal Drug Crimes
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two New Jersey men were sentenced to federal prison for their participation in a drug trafficking operation in Fayette County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Fuquan Hagler, 40, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, to be followed by a three year term of supervised release, while Brian Kelley, 46, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, to be followed by a four year term of supervised release.
“Hagler and Kelley were dealers in a multi-state, poly-drug network responsible for bringing significant quantities of drugs into southern West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “The thorough and collaborative work of law enforcement put them out of business.”
Hagler previously admitted that in June 2018, he worked with other members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating between Fayette County, West Virginia and New Jersey to distribute oxycodone pills. Hagler admitted that on June 20, 2018 he was a passenger in car transporting oxycodone pills from New Jersey to West Virginia. It was the plan to deliver the pills to another member of the DTO in West Virginia to be redistributed and sold illegally for profit in the Southern District of West Virginia. Prior to delivering the pills to West Virginia, the car Hagler was in was stopped by the Pennsylvania State Police. During the traffic stop, approximately 997 oxycodone pills were recovered. The pills were hidden in a secret compartment, commonly referred to as a trap.
In a related case, Kelley previously admitted that on July 7, 2018 he was transporting controlled substances from New Jersey to the Southern District of West Virginia. Kelley admitted to traveling to a co-defendant’s residence in Fayette County, and picking up over $21,000 in cash for another member of the DTO. Police officers later stopped the car Kelley was driving and found over $21,000 in cash and approximately 639 grams of cocaine. Both the cash and the cocaine were found in a hidden electronic compartment.
Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, with the support of the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug Task Force, the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Fayetteville Police Department, and Oak Hill Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Andrew J. Tessman handled the prosecutions. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences.
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Updated November 7, 2019
Topic
Drug Trafficking
Component