BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Three Beckley men pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal drug charges, admitting their involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack cocaine in southern West Virginia.
Tilford Joe Bradley Jr., 47, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, while Mark Anderson Staples, 53, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack cocaine.
In a separate case, Talbert Mazell Pannell, 42, pleaded guilty to using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers stopped Bradley’s vehicle in Beckley on May 6, 2024, and found two ounces of methamphetamine hidden in a magnetic box in the engine bay.
Officers also recovered a Colt .45-caliber pistol and a Hi-Point 9mm pistol. Bradley admitted he intended to distribute the drugs and had arranged multiple transactions with Staples and other co-conspirators.
Investigators determined that Bradley and Staples coordinated drug deals by phone, including an exchange on May 2, 2024, where Bradley obtained 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine in exchange for using his truck title as collateral.
A search of Bradley’s residence on June 28, 2023, led to the seizure of 38 grams of fentanyl, six grams of cocaine, and drug-related paraphernalia.
Staples admitted to distributing methamphetamine between April and May 2024, obtaining drugs from suppliers and using his phone to arrange sales.
Pannell admitted to receiving fentanyl and cocaine at his residence throughout May 2024 and using his phone to facilitate transactions.
Bradley and Pannell are scheduled for sentencing on May 22, 2025, while Staples will be sentenced on May 15, 2025. Bradley and Staples each face up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Pannell faces a maximum of four years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The three men are among 12 individuals indicted for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack in the Southern District of West Virginia between June 2023 and May 2024.
Eight defendants have pleaded guilty, while the remaining cases are pending.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The case is being prosecuted under the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, which targets major drug trafficking organizations.
