Drug Trafficker Leading Armed Fentanyl Ring in Berkeley County, West Virginia Pleads Guilty

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced today that 45-year-old Delano Alan Butler has admitted to spearheading a drug trafficking ring in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. Butler pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, approximately 200,000 lethal doses, as well as methamphetamine and cocaine.

According to court documents, Butler organized a crew of six individuals to facilitate the sale of these substances and maintained a dedicated property located in Berkeley County for their distribution. As part of his plea agreement, Butler will forfeit several firearms connected to the operation, including six semi-automatic rifles; two semi-automatic pistols; and one semi-automatic shotgun.

Four of Butler's co-defendants have also entered guilty pleas and are currently awaiting sentencing. Butler faces a potential prison term of 180 to 288 months. His final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge following a review of U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force was the lead investigative unit. Other investigative agencies that assisted include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the Pittsburgh, San Francisco, San Juan, and Philadelphia Field Offices; United States Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Postal Service; Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisville and Chicago Divisions; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Martinsburg Police Department; Ranson Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; West Virginia Air National Guard; Mineral County Sheriff's Office; Grant County Sheriff's Office; Hampshire County Sheriff's Department; Keyser Police Department; Northwest Regional Drug Task Force, Virginia; Pennsylvania State Police; Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Pennsylvania; Winchester Police Department, Virginia; Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Virginia; Virginia State Police; Sunnyvale Police Department, California.

Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts.

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

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble.

Find the related press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/twenty-five-charged-drug-trafficking-eastern-panhandle