William J. Ihlenfeld, II U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia
A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for drug-related offenses in the Northern District of West Virginia. Jo-El Torres, aged 40 and hailing from Pittsburgh, was convicted for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The incident occurred during a traffic stop in Clarksburg, West Virginia. A K9 officer detected drugs in Torres's vehicle. When asked to exit the vehicle, Torres attempted to swallow a bag containing illegal substances. Officers managed to subdue him and retrieve the bag, which lab tests later confirmed contained fentanyl and other drugs. This marks Torres's third federal drug conviction.
Following his prison term, Torres will undergo three years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar led the prosecution for the government. The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Greater Harrison County Drug Task Force—a HIDTA funded initiative—the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarksburg Police Department, and the West Virginia State Police.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided over the case.
