A federal jury in Wheeling, West Virginia has convicted Joseph William Alfred, also known as “Chris,” of multiple drug and firearms offenses. Alfred, 50, of Moundsville, was found guilty of distributing five grams or more of methamphetamine, attempting to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm, and failure to appear.
According to evidence presented at trial, a package containing over two pounds of methamphetamine addressed to Alfred was intercepted by the United States Postal Service after being mailed from California. Law enforcement later executed a search warrant at Alfred’s residence and seized additional controlled substances, a firearm, ammunition, cash, and drug paraphernalia. Due to a prior felony drug conviction, Alfred is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard stated: “I commend the law enforcement agencies and the prosecutors for their outstanding efforts in this case. There should be no doubt that, as part of Operation Take Back America, we will continue to aggressively stop the flow of drugs into our communities and our country. We will pursue the most serious charges and penalties for all those who test our resolve.”
During pretrial proceedings, Alfred had been released on home confinement with electronic monitoring but removed his monitoring device and failed to appear for his federal court hearing in April 2024.
Alfred faces significant prison time: 5 to 40 years for distribution of methamphetamine; 10 years to life for attempted possession with intent to distribute; up to 15 years for unlawful possession of a firearm; and up to 10 years for failure to appear. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.
The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton Reid and Carly Nogay. The investigation involved the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force—a HIDTA-funded initiative—the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Postal Service; and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide effort coordinated by the Department of Justice aimed at stopping illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protecting communities from violent crime through combined resources from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the trial.
