Matthew David Viands, a 32-year-old resident of Summit Point, West Virginia, has confessed to his involvement in a drug trafficking network that distributed fentanyl and other illegal substances in the Eastern Panhandle. Court documents reveal that Viands acted as a distributor for the organization and also failed to appear following his pretrial release.
Viands could face up to 20 years in prison for the drug charge and an additional 10 years for failing to appear. A federal district court judge will determine the final sentence after considering relevant guidelines and statutory factors.
Out of 82 defendants involved in this case, 80 have been convicted, with 59 already sentenced. Charles Delroy Singletary, aged 44 from Baltimore, Maryland, remains at large. Further details can be found in a recent release by the Department of Justice.
The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the proceedings.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division), Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Service; Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force; West Virginia State Police; West Virginia Air National Guard; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Offices (Maryland and Virginia); Winchester Police Department; Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia).
This investigation forms part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
