Phillip Gray, a resident of Oak Hill, has pleaded guilty to charges related to a federal drug conspiracy. The 41-year-old admitted in court that he was involved in a scheme to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine within the Southern District of West Virginia, a plot that spanned from November 27, 2022, to December 6, 2023.
Court records reveal that on November 27, 2022, Gray, alongside a co-conspirator, sold 446 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $2,600 at a trailer park in Oak Hill. A similar transaction took place on February 2, 2023, when Gray and another individual sold 443 grams of methamphetamine to an informant at a nearby trailer park. Gray has admitted to involvement in both these transactions.
The sentencing for Gray is scheduled for August 8, 2025, where he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and possibly a life sentence, in addition to at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million.
Alongside Gray, three others were indicted by a federal grand jury for their alleged roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Among them, Leondus Whittenburg, aged 43, from Beckley, entered a guilty plea on March 3, 2025, for distributing more than 5 grams of methamphetamine. John Gray, 39, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2024, to distributing a quantity of methamphetamine. Both Whittenburg and John Gray are currently awaiting sentencing. Charges against Daemien Thompson, 39, also from Oak Hill, remain pending. It is crucial to note that an indictment is only an allegation, and all defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, announced Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.
The proceedings took place under the oversight of United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn. The prosecution team comprises Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell and Brian D. Parsons.
Additional information can be accessed via related court documents available on PACER by searching Case No. 5:24-cr-31, as well as the official website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.