Philly man pleads in federal drug trafficking op that includes drug house in Martinsburg
A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty last week in federal court to operating a multi-state organized drug trafficking business, whose drug houses included one in Martinsburg, W.Va., according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Christopher Arthur Jones, 38, also known as "Smooth," pleaded guilty on Wednesday to racketeering enterprise (RICO) conspiracy and fentanyl distribution charges, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Jones was the leader of the 19th Street Enterprise, directing members to "sell drugs, commit acts of violence, launder money, and commit fraud in West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware," the release states. While the business was based in Philadelphia, Jones had drug houses in Martinsburg and elsewhere.
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Jones has agreed to forfeit proceeds from the crimes and his Philadelphia property, which was used as a stash house, the release states.
Jones faces at least 10 years in prison and up to life in federal prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the plea agreement.
The other 21 co-defendants indicted in October 2020 included people from the Martinsburg, Hedgesville and Harpers Ferry areas in West Virginia as well as several people from Philly and a defendant from Wilmington, Del., according to a U.S. Attorney's Office release about the indictments. Eight of the defendants were from Berkeley County.
Conspiracy involved robbing homes to help fund criminal operation
Testimony provided Wednesday before a U.S. Magistrate judge in Martinsburg included that Jones ordered armed robberies at Maryland and West Virginia residences to help fund the enterprise, the recent release states.
A Martinsburg home was robbed as well as one in Chestertown in Kent County on Maryland's Eastern Shore, according to Stacy Bishop, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
"Homeowners were targeted because of perceived wealth," the release states.
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A superseding indictment filed in October notes that members of the enterprise possessed firearms, knives and cellphone jammers for robberies.
Jones also committed COVID fraud by receiving relief funds under false pretenses, the release states.
What we know about the drugs involved in RICO case
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the criminal organization was selling an estimated 100 grams of fentanyl a week and laundering at least $500 a day from a house on Crooked Way, which is southeast of Martinsburg.
When the indictments were announced in October 2020 in connection with the drug trafficking operation, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Randolph Bernard said at a Martinsburg news conference that the group distributed about 15 kilograms of fentanyl.
To put that in perspective, Bernard said, that is "enough to kill the population of West Virginia twice over."
Jones' plea regarding possession with intent to distribute involves 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, according to the plea agreement.
The updated indictment from October states that the criminal enterprise's members and associates possessed various drugs with the intent to distribute them. Those drugs included heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base or crack, coke, K2 or spice, and PCP.
Agencies involved in federal drug trafficking investigation
The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation, which used multiple agencies led by a prosecutor to identify, disrupt and dismantle "the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten" the U.S., the recent release states.
The investigation was done by the FBI; Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, and the West Virginia Air National Guard.
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney's Office and the Kent County Sheriff's Office assisted, the release states.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Philly man pleas in drug trafficking operation in Pa, Md, WV and Del
