Oak Hill man convicted of drug offense

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) – An Oak Hill man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a felony, the Fayette County District Attorney's Office said in a Sept. 24 news release from the DA's office.

According to the press release, 27-year-old Jacob William Edward Ross was convicted of the crime of conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Ross was convicted of aggravated drug conspiracy in 2018, and because he is a repeat offender, the court doubled the maximum sentence for Ross, the press release said.

Ross must spend at least five years in prison before he can be released on parole.

The ruling came after Ross was arrested in November 2023 following a traffic stop for an expired registration, the prosecutor said. After searching the vehicle and a passenger, officers found a large amount of suspected methamphetamine in the passenger's pocket, the release said. A semi-automatic pistol was also found on the passenger, the release said.

The prosecutor said a bag was also found containing a small amount of other suspected illegal drugs, as well as items commonly used to sell illegal drugs. After forensic testing, the drugs were confirmed to be methamphetamine, totaling about half a pound, the prosecutor said.

At the hearing, Ross admitted to conspiring with the passenger to buy and sell methamphetamine in Fayette County, the press release said.

Ross was convicted on September 24 and faces 20 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving five years.

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