Ronald Lavaughn Mason, a 46-year-old resident of Beckley, has been sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, commonly known as "crack." Mason admitted to being a key figure in a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack in Beckley and surrounding areas within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Court documents and statements reveal Mason's involvement in the organization during April and May 2024. He collaborated with other individuals to distribute fentanyl and crack. Law enforcement intercepted phone calls in which Mason arranged cocaine and fentanyl transactions with up to 11 other individuals. Through his guilty plea, he admitted to supplying controlled substances to others who would further distribute them. He acknowledged delivering these substances or having them picked up from his residence.
On April 9, 2024, Mason was observed selling co-defendant Tilford Joe Bradley Jr. half an ounce of controlled substances in a transaction conducted in his vehicle in Beaver. He admitted that law enforcement was aware of this meeting and that he understood Bradley intended to redistribute the drugs.
On May 30, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Mason's residence. Authorities seized approximately 540 grams of cocaine, 324 grams of fentanyl analogue, 228 grams of fentanyl, and $10,293. Mason acknowledged possession of the drugs with the intent to distribute.
Mason's criminal record includes two prior drug trafficking convictions in the Southern District of West Virginia. Both Mason and Bradley are among 12 individuals indicted for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack from June 2023 to May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, with some pleading to separate charges.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, who praised the investigative efforts of the FBI, the ATF, and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. This unit includes officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
The sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), established in 1982. OCDETF conducts comprehensive attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, combining federal resources with state and local law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle the most serious criminal organizations threatening public safety and national security in the United States.
A copy of the press release and related court documents are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia, with additional information accessible through PACER for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.