Jefferson County man pleads guilty to his role in a heroin distribution operation

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph Killian, 35, of Ranson, West Virginia, was convicted of heroin distribution, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.

Killian admitted to possessing heroin in Berkeley County on June 29, 2016.

Killian pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin.” He faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.