A drug trafficking investigation spanning West Virginia and Maryland has resulted in prison sentences for three men accused of distributing dangerous drugs throughout the Eastern Panhandle.
Two Martinsburg residents, 38-year-old Brenton Berens and 40-year-old Shannon Smith, have each been sentenced to 60 months in prison for their roles in an operation selling fentanyl and cocaine in Berkeley County. Investigators say the two maintained a residence where drugs were stored and packaged before being distributed. A search of that home turned up nearly one pound of fentanyl. Authorities traced the drug supply to a Baltimore, Maryland man, Rodney Harry Augustine, who was also convicted for his involvement and is scheduled to be sentenced in 2027.
In a separate case, 23-year-old Malachi Younger was sentenced to 41 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine in both West Virginia and Maryland. Investigators say Younger crossed state lines to continue his drug operation. During a traffic stop, officers found more than half a pound of cocaine, over 50 grams of fentanyl and a quarter-pound of marijuana inside his vehicle.
By: Dianah Gibson
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