William S. Thompson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
Today in Charleston, West Virginia, two individuals entered guilty pleas related to their involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking organization. Kirt Ray King and Anthony Michael Mowery admitted to conspiracy charges involving the distribution of significant quantities of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, King and Mowery were part of a Drug Trafficking Organization that operated from January 2024 to May 2024 within Charleston and the Southern District of West Virginia. Their sentencing is scheduled for April 21, 2025. King could face a minimum of ten years up to life imprisonment, along with supervised release and fines. Mowery's potential sentence ranges from five to forty years, with additional penalties.
The case involves four defendants. Co-defendants Michael Dale Cain and John Wayne Harkless previously pleaded guilty in November 2024 for similar charges and are awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson praised the FBI's investigative efforts. The hearings were overseen by United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin, with Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuting.
This investigation is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), established in 1982 to target major drug trafficking organizations through collaborative law enforcement efforts.
Further information on this case can be accessed via the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia or through PACER using Case No. 2:24-cr-95.
