Seven individuals have been sentenced for their involvement in a substantial drug trafficking operation extending from Baltimore to West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The operation dealt heavily in fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine across Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
The defendants, among them Gary Brown, Jr., faced charges from an indictment issued in January 2024. This week saw the sentencing of several involved: James Beau Baker of Charles Town, West Virginia received 97 months; Amanda Nicole Albert of Knoxville, Maryland was sentenced to 46 months; Kendall Axavier Baker of Winchester, Virginia received time served; Kaitlyn Ashley Knight from Falling Waters, West Virginia was given three years' probation; Ryan Brennan of Strasburg, Virginia was sentenced to five years' probation; April Dawn Wentzell from Ranson, West Virginia received time served; and Aaron Joshua James of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia was given 70 months.
Out of 82 charged individuals, 80 have been convicted. With the latest sentencings, 44 defendants have faced judgement. However, Charles Delroy Singletary, 44, of Baltimore, Maryland remains a fugitive.
Prosecutors Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane led the cases, with U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presiding over the sentences.
The investigation involved various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI’s Pittsburgh and Baltimore Field Divisions, the DEA, and multiple local police departments across West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia, among others.
This effort falls under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States.
