Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Kanawha County Drug Trafficking Organization

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Robert Ford, also known as "Jason" and "J," 44, of Van Buren Township, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Ford admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ford transported several pounds of methamphetamine to West Virginia from Detroit, Michigan, between June 2024 and April 2025. Ford supplied the methamphetamine to co-conspirator Amanda Marie Mace, who re-distributed it to others including co-conspirators Michael Allen Corkhill and Quanda Kiev Wilborne for further distribution. As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine. During one controlled buy, Mace sold a quantity of methamphetamine while Ford sat in a vehicle parked nearby after communicating by phone with Mace during the time leading up to the transaction.

Ford and Mace, also known as "A," 43, of South Charleston, are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of the federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Nine defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty including Ford, Mace, Corkhill, and Wilbourne. Mace was sentenced on March 9, 2026, to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, each for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Corkhill, also known as "Mike" and "Mike Mike," 31, of Dunbar, and Wilborne, also known as "Quan" and "Queso," 30, of Charleston, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine

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.

Ford is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 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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