United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia

03/24/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/24/2026 12:05

South Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Kanawha County Drug Trafficking Organization

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Andre Marvin Marneal Jenkins, also known as "Meech," 28, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jenkins admitted to his role 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, Jenkins arranged to distribute fentanyl pills to a co-conspirator who intended to redistribute those pills to a customer. Jenkins also assisted a co-conspirator in the distribution of fentanyl powder to a customer. On April 10, 2025, law enforcement officers encountered Jenkins when they executed a search warrant at a Charleston apartment and seized a quantity of fentanyl and a loaded Glock 17 9mm pistol from Jenkins' possession. Jenkins also possessed a key to a storage unit in Dunbar. Officers executed a search warrant on that storage unit and recovered over 5,300 pills containing fentanyl and other substances, along with three additional firearms.

Jenkins is scheduled to be sentenced on July 20, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $2,250,000.00

Jenkins is 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. Seven defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty including Jenkins. 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting 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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United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia published this content on March 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 24, 2026 at 18:05 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]