Man sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug offense

FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A Fayette County man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday for a drug offense, the county prosecutor's office announced.

Jacob William Edward Ross, 27, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Uniform Substances Act. Investigators say Ross has previous drug convictions in Fayette County and Cabell County.

Because he is a repeat drug offender, Ross was given twice the maximum sentence, prosecutors said. He must spend five years in prison before being eligible for parole.

According to a press release from the prosecutor's office, officers stopped the vehicle driven by Ross in November 2023. During a search of the vehicle, a large amount of suspected methamphetamine was found in a passenger's pocket.

This passenger was also armed with a semi-automatic pistol and police officers found a bag in the vehicle containing a small amount of other suspected illegal drugs and items used in drug trafficking.

An investigation revealed that Ross had given the passenger the firearm on the way to Beckley to purchase illegal drugs.

At his hearing, Ross admitted that he and the passenger had conspired to buy meth and sell it in Fayette County.

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