Fayette County man sentenced to prison for drug conspiracy

OAK HILL, WV (WVNS) — An Oak Hill man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the felony crime of conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.

According to a press release from the Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Jacob William Edward Ross, age 27, of Oak Hill pleaded guilty to this offense on July 24, 2024.

In 2018, Ross was convicted in Cabell County for felony drug conspiracy and felony aiding an adult in confinement in Fayette County. Since he is a repeated drug offender, his sentence was doubled. Ross must first serve 5 years in prison to be eligible for parole.

The press release continues saying, while driving in Oak Hill, Ross was stopped by officers due to expired registration on November 8, 2023. From a car search and passenger in the car, a large amount of methamphetamine was found in the passenger’s pocket. The passenger also had a gun. An additional bag in Ross’s car was also found during the search that contained a small amount of drugs. Drug paraphernalia used for drug sales was also found. Testing confirmed that the drug found during the search was approximately one-half pound of methamphetamine.

Upon further investigation, the passenger was given the gun by Ross to carry while they bought drugs in Beckley.

At his hearing, Ross admitted to conspiring with the passenger to purchase methamphetamine to sell in Fayette County.

The Oak Hill Police Department investigated this crime and the case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jennifer D. Crane.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.