Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to 11 Felony Drug Crimes, Admitting to Role in Huntington-Area Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Lamarr Anthony Welch, also known as "Joe," 35, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, to 11 felony drug offenses, admitting to his 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, Welch admitted to participating in the conspiracy, to distributing various quantities of methamphetamine totaling 651 grams on multiple occasions between March 3, 2025, and August 27, 2025, and to distributing 4.4 grams fentanyl on August 27, 2025, as part of the DTO.

Welch pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count each of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, aiding and abetting the distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, distribution of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, and distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Welch conducted transactions arranged by or at the direction of co-defendants Joshua Willie McCarver, also known as "TJ," 27, of Detroit, McCarver's nephew Darnell Marice McCarver, also known as "WAP," 19, of Detroit, and Geon Lavell Henderson, also known as "Money," 52, of Huntington. These three individuals and Welch are among 10 defendants indicted on charges alleging they participated in the DTO while it operated from in or about January 2025 to in or about August 2025. Darnell Marice McCarver pleaded guilty on January 6, 2026, to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13, 2026. Two other co-defendants pleaded guilty. The charges against Joshua Willie McCarver, Henderson, and the other defendants remain 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.

Welch is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2026, 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.

"This defendant repeatedly sold drugs in an already vulnerable community, flooding it with dangerous drugs and profiting from the pain, addiction, and devastation of its residents. He now faces the consequences of his crimes," said United States Attorney Moore Capito. "This is another drug trafficking conspiracy dismantled by the incredible work of our law enforcement partners: 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. I also commend Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney for securing guilty pleas from this defendant in all 11 counts against him in the indictment."

"Methamphetamine and fentanyl destroy lives in our community. Actively bringing this poison into our neighborhoods fuels addiction and drives violent crime. Removing traffickers from our streets means protecting families who never chose to be touched by these dangerous drugs. The FBI and our partners will never stop holding accountable those who think they can continue to profit from addiction," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek.

"This is why we participate and are a part of the Federal Drug Task Force/(Toc-West) when you see the hard work of that unit pay off," said Cabell County Sheriff Doug Adams. "The men and women of that Task Force do a wonderful job, and this is the result of the work they do to and their efforts to make Cabell County safer for the families that call it home. Hope that this sends a clear message to others that want to plague our county with narcotics that have impacted our community in ways that are unimaginable."

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.

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.

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