Justin Saunders, a 27-year-old resident of Charleston, West Virginia, has entered a guilty plea for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The plea was made in federal court.
Court documents reveal that on February 3, 2024, Saunders sold approximately 896 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential source. Saunders acknowledged the sale took place at his home on Quarrier Street in Charleston.
The following day, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Saunders' residence. They seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, and metonitazene—a synthetic opioid—from the premises.
Saunders is scheduled for sentencing on June 9, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could receive up to 40 years in prison. Additional penalties include at least four years of supervised release and a fine reaching $5 million.
United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the plea and praised the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) for their investigation. MDENT includes officers from various local police departments such as Charleston Police Department and Kanawha County Sheriff's Office among others.
The hearing was overseen by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh is handling the prosecution.
Further details can be accessed through the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia or via PACER using Case No. 2:24-cr-70.