Five Defendants Plead Guilty in Drug Conspiracy Investigation

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – Five members of a drug distribution organization that trafficked methamphetamine, heroin, oxycodone, cocaine, and other drugs from Georgia into Southwest Virginia pleaded guilty recently in federal court to federal drug conspiracy charges, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced.

Christy Marie Doffermyer, 47, of Kingsport, Tenn., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as distributing heroin and oxycodone.  At sentencing, Doffermyer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million.

Timothy Terrell Peek, 34, of Greensboro, Ga., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as distributing heroin, oxycodone, cocaine, and alprazolam.  At sentencing, Peek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million.

Audrea Augusta Woodward, 50, of Big Stone Gap, Va., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing oxycodone.  At sentencing, Woodward faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million.

Timothy Allen Barr, 51, of Coeburn, Va., and Paul Thomas Jones, 25, of Big Stone Gap, Va., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing oxycodone.  At sentencing, Barr and Jones each face a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

“Crystal methamphetamine is a highly addictive and dangerous drug,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today.  “We are committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners in Southwest Virginia to dismantle and prosecute organizations that traffic in it. I am grateful for our partnership with Attorney General Herring’s office on this critical law-enforcement initiative.”  

“Reducing the availability of crystal methamphetamine and other drugs in Southwest Virginia is a high priority for my office.  My office and I work diligently to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement to crack down on those who transport dangerous drugs into the Commonwealth for distribution,” Virginia Attorney General Herring said today.  “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners and will continue to aggressively prosecute those who endanger the lives of our citizens.” 

In all, 11 individuals have been charged as part of this drug trafficking conspiracy.  Another defendant is scheduled to enter a guilty plea later this month, with others set for trial in mid-December. 

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea hearings by Special Assistant United States Attorney and Virginia Assistant Attorney General Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, the defendants conspired to traffic a variety of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, morphine, oxycodone, and alprazolam, from sources in Watkinsville, Georgia, into Southwest Virginia for redistribution.  The organization operated primarily in Lee and Wise counties from November 2016 through March 1, 2018.  Arrests on March 1, 2018, resulted in the seizure of approximately 197 grams of crystal ice methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, morphine, and oxycodone. 

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case for the United States.