Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - James Richard Mathis, 31, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 3, 2024, Mathis possessed over 90 grams of methamphetamine and over 20 grams of fentanyl in or near Dunbar, West Virginia, that he intended to distribute.

On January 5, 2026, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Mathis was a passenger after he retrieved a package delivered in Charleston that investigators had identified as suspicious. Officers found more than a half-pound of methamphetamine and over 3 ounces of a mixture containing fentanyl in the vehicle. Investigators determined that Mathis had coordinated the shipment of the package from California in exchange for $2,600 and that it had contained 1 pound of methamphetamine, including the quantity found during the traffic stop. Later that day, officers executed a search warrant at the Charleston residence where Mathis was staying and seized nearly an additional pound of methamphetamine and quantities of cocaine and cocaine base, also known as "crack."

Mathis has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for unlawful wounding and controlled substances offenses.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the West Virginia State Police, and the South Charleston Police Department. MDENT 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 Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted 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. 2:25-cr-87.

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