Berkeley and Jefferson County residents sentenced for drug conspiracy

 MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Two Eastern Panhandle residents were sentenced today for their roles in a drug conspiracy that spanned several states, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.

Braheem Jamal Gilbert, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 37 months of incarceration. Gilbert, also known as “Slick,” 31, pled guilty in November 2020 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, and Cocaine Base.” Gilbert admitted to working with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base from January 2019 to September 2019 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties and elsewhere.

Duane Curtis Jackson, of Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 40 months of incarceration. Jackson, also known as “Duke,” 28, pled guilty in November 2020 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl.” Jackson admitted to having heroin and fentanyl in March 2019 in Jefferson County.

This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep.  This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. 
 
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.