Federal Judge Hands Down 17.5-Year Sentence in Largest Meth Seizure in WV History

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal judge has sentenced Antonio Lamar Jeffries, 36, of St. Albans, to 17 years and six months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for his role in a Charleston‑area drug trafficking organization.
Jeffries admitted to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine between November 2022 and March 2023. Court records show he directed a co‑conspirator to purchase drugs at Mercer Mall in Bluefield, leading to the seizure of more than 3 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Because Jeffries was already serving a term of supervised release from a prior conviction, he received an additional two and a half years for violating that release. Combined, he faces 20 years behind bars.
U.S. Attorney Moore Capito said the case was part of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major investigation that resulted in the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Authorities confiscated more than 400 pounds of meth, 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms, and nearly $935,000 in cash.
“This defendant chose to profit from destroying lives. Today, that ends,” Capito said. “Thanks to the relentless work of law enforcement, 70 pounds of lethal drugs will never reach our families.”
Jeffries is one of 31 defendants convicted in the operation.