Department of Justice

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Philip K. Finley, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, has admitted to drug distribution and firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Finley, age 51, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine” and one count of “Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime.” 

Finley admitted to distributing methamphetamine in Harrison County from March until September 2018. He also admitted to having 12 different firearms in his possession during the crime.

Finley faces 10 years to life incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the methamphetamine charge, and faces no less than five years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms charge. 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.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. 

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