Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Charges

 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty today to federal firearm and drug charges.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about December 1, 2019, Ryan Ashley Williams, 35, was arrested by law enforcement officers at an apartment on Hall Street in Parkersburg.  Officers found approximately 40 grams of a mixture containing carfentanil, fentanyl and heroin on Williams, as well as keys to a safe.  Within the safe, officers located approximately eight grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin, along with a semi-automatic pistol.  Williams admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs to another person and that he knew he had been previously convicted of the felony offense of first degree robbery with a firearm specification in Wood County Circuit Court, which prohibited him from possessing firearms.       

Williams pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl and heroin and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and faces up to 40 years in prison when sentenced on September 30, 2021.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.