Two individuals have been sentenced in federal court for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization operating in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. The sentences are part of a broader case that began with an indictment in January 2024, charging Gary Brown, Jr. and eighty-one others with distributing significant amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Darien Jacob Horton, also known as “Dee Jae,” age 25, from Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, received a sentence of 135 months in federal prison. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Horton acted as one of the distributors within the operation by purchasing large quantities of fentanyl capsules and other drugs for redistribution. Horton has prior convictions that include attempted murder, firearms violations, and domestic battery.
Jennifer Nicole Barthlow, age 41, from Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. Barthlow was identified as one of Brown’s distributors.
Of the 82 defendants named in the case, 81 have been convicted so far. Including this week’s sentencings, a total of 74 defendants have now been sentenced. Gary Brown Jr., described as the leader of the organization, was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison earlier this year.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted these cases on behalf of the government. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the proceedings.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division), Drug Enforcement Administration, 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 (a HIDTA-funded initiative), West Virginia State Police; West Virginia Air National Guard; several local sheriff's offices and police departments across West Virginia and neighboring states; as well as prosecuting attorneys’ offices from Berkeley County.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort led by the Department of Justice that focuses on combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated resources from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
