U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson | U.S. Department of Justice
Jaron Andrew O'Neal, a 38-year-old resident of Charleston, has pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The plea was entered in Huntington, West Virginia.
Court documents and statements revealed that investigators had obtained a search warrant for a package destined for an address in Barboursville after a K9 unit indicated the presence of drugs. Upon inspection, the package was found to contain approximately one kilogram of fentanyl. Investigators then replaced the fentanyl with a sham substance and carried out a controlled delivery to the specified address. On January 24, 2023, O'Neal collected the package and drove away with it in his vehicle. During a subsequent traffic stop, investigators discovered the package inside his car. O’Neal admitted to retrieving the package under the belief that it contained controlled substances.
O'Neal's sentencing is scheduled for April 28, 2025. He faces up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a potential fine of $250,000.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson, who praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing while Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is handling prosecution duties.
This case falls under Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an initiative aimed at curbing the distribution of lethal synthetic opioids in areas heavily impacted by such drugs.
Further details and related court documents can be accessed on PACER by searching Case No. 3:24-cr-85 or visiting the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
