Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Kanawha County Drug Trafficking Organization

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - On Thursday, January 22, 2026, Ashley Dawn Smith, 32, of St. Albans, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and Adrian Lamont Carter, 45, of Charleston, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Smith and Carter admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith was distributing fentanyl to customers that she was obtaining from two out-of-town sources. One of her co-conspirators would re-distribute the fentanyl that he obtained from Smith. When officers executed a search warrant at Smith's St. Albans residence in February 2025, they located a quantity of fentanyl as well as other items indicative of fentanyl distribution.

Carter obtained fentanyl from an out-of-town source and distributed it to several customers in the Charleston area. When officers executed a search warrant at Carter's Charleston residence in April 2025, they located a quantity of fentanyl as well as other items indicative of fentanyl distribution.

Smith and Carter are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Five defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty including Smith and Carter. Four additional defendants pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-78.

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