CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – A Kanawha County man has pleaded guilty to his role in a major drug trafficking organization in West Virginia.
According to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia Will Thompson’s Office, Antonio Lamar Jeffries, 35, of St. Albans pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to distribute 500 grand or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Georgia man sentenced for role in drug organization busted by Operation Smoke and Mirrors
Jeffries’ sentencing has been scheduled for Oct. 7, 2024. Thompson’s office says he faces 15 years to life in prison with at least 10 years of supervised release. He could also face a $20 million fine.
Court documents and statements claim Jeffries conspired with others to distribute quantities of meth in the area between November 2022 and March 22, 2023. According to court records, Jeffries admitted to arranging for a co-conspirator to drive to Bluefield on Feb. 4, 2023, to get meth from his supplier. Court documents say he arranged the meeting by phone and gave the co-conspirator money to pay for the meth. The meeting was set up for the Mercer Mall in Bluefield.
According to court records, the co-conspirator completed the exchange, and law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on their vehicle on the way back to Charleston. Authorities say they seized approximately 3.1 kilograms of meth from the vehicle.
Court records say Jeffries admitted that he planned to distribute some of the meth seized by authorities to other people and to let the co-conspirator keep the rest of it.
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Jeffries is one of 32 people who have been indicted as a part of Operation Smoke and Mirrors. Thompson says the drug trafficking investigation has resulted in the largest seizure of meth in state history – more than 400 pounds. That number is up from the more than 200 pounds that had been seized when law enforcement and judicial officials first announced the operation.
According to Thompson, the Smoke and Mirrors investigation has also seized 40 pounds of cocaine, three pounds of fentanyl 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.