HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Akron, Ohio man who helped lead a multi-state drug conspiracy entered a guilty plea today in federal court. George Devonte Langford, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of heroin, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Langford admitted that he participated in the conspiracy between April and September 2019. Langford admitted that he frequently acquired methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl in the Akron area which he and others transported to the Southern District of West Virginia. Langford then distributed the drugs to various customers in multiple locations including Scott Depot, Charleston and Sissonville. Langford also admitted that customers traveled to locations in Ohio on multiple occasions, including Akron and Canton, where he met with them to provide them with methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. Langford was aware that these customers traveled from, and intended to return to, West Virginia with the drugs where they would be re-distributed.
Langford faces 10 years to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on February 7, 2022.
United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the joint investigation spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies that participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie S. Taylor are handling the prosecution.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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. 3:19-cr-000246.
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