Joshua Carney, a 32-year-old resident of Wheeling, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to multiple federal drug charges. According to court documents, Carney admitted to conspiring with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base, fentanyl, and heroin. He also pleaded guilty to distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of Ritchie Elementary School in June 2024.
For the conspiracy charge, Carney faces up to 20 years in prison. The distribution charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could result in up to 80 years in federal prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is handling the prosecution for the government. The investigation involved several agencies, including the Ohio Valley Task Force—which is funded through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program—the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Wheeling Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided over the case.
