California Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Trenzell Veasey, 29, of Bakersfield, California, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 28, 2026, law enforcement officers responded to a South Charleston hotel after staff conducting a welfare check found Veasey lying on the floor in his room. Officers observed a large wrapped package in the room with a corner torn open revealing a powdery substance. Officers obtained and executed a search warrant for Veasey's room, where they seized 1 kilogram of a substance containing fentanyl and 31.1 grams of methamphetamine.

Veasey is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the South Charleston Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. McLaughlin is prosecuting the case.

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. 2:26-cr-39.

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