CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men were found guilty today by a federal jury of a drug conspiracy that stretched from Detroit to Morgantown, selling methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Aaric Murray, 33, of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Richard Kirkland Johnson, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, were found guilty today of one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances” one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Offense.” Murray was also found guilty of one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” The crimes occurred from the Spring of 2020 through November 2020 in Monongalia County.
Murray was acquitted of two other firearms charges, and Johnson was acquitted of an aiding and abetting charge.
Murray and Johnson each face up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each of the drug counts and face up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.