Upshur County man indicted on drug charge

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Marlin E. Beckner, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on methamphetamine distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Beckner, age 44, is charged with one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Beckner is accused of possessing crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice, in September 2017 in Upshur County.

Beckner faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives; the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force; the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; Upshur County Sheriff’s Office; Lewis County Sheriff’s Office; the Buckhannon Police Department; and the Weston Police Department investigated.

The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.