Drug Trafficker Will Spend Next 24 Years in Federal Prison (DOJ)

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Anthony Bernard Coles, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 292 months in federal prison for trafficking dangerous drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.

Coles, also known as "Pay Day," and "Him Him," 39, sold methamphetamine and cocaine on multiple occasions in Harrison County. During a search of his residence, investigators seized more than 150 grams of fentanyl, a stolen 9mm Glock pistol, 9mm ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. The firearm and ammunition were found hidden inside air vents.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.

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), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.

Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.