Michigan Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Huntington-Area Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Elizabeth Jane Cumper, 46, of Marlette, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture. Cumper admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 12, 2025, co-defendant William Louis Johnson III sold approximately 389.2 grams of methamphetamine and 1 gram of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $2,400. As part of her guilty plea, Cumper admitted that she delivered methamphetamine to Johnson for the transaction.

Cumper is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.

Johnson, also known as "BJ," 40, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on September 28, 2026, to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1, 2027. Six other co-defendants pleaded guilty in the case. The indictment remains pending against one co-defendant. 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), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, the Mason County Sheriff's Office, and the Huntington Police Department, and the assistance provided by the Ohio Highway Patrol and the Marion County, Ohio, Sheriff's Office.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Joseph F. Adams are 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. 3:25-cr-154.

###