Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Stephen D. Nicholas, 31, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 24, 2024, Nicholas sold a substance containing 20.94 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Oak Hill, West Virginia, in exchange for $1,200. As part of his guilty plea, Nicholas admitted to conducting the transaction. Nicholas further admitted to selling a 27.91-gram mixture of fentanyl and heroin in exchange for $1,200 in Oak Hill on April 29, 2024, 10.87 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $600 in Fayetteville on May 2, 2024, and 10.93 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $600 in Fayetteville on May 7, 2024. All three transactions were with a confidential informant.

Nicholas also admitted that he intended to distribute 24.544 grams of fentanyl and 97.04 grams of cocaine seized by law enforcement while executing a search warrant on May 9, 2024, at a residence Nicholas was associated with in Oak Hill. Officers also seized four firearms, assorted ammunition including three loaded AR-15 magazines, and $2,484 including $600 in prerecorded buy money from the controlled purchases during the search.

Nicholas is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum 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. 2:26-cr-33.

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