CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Catra Nelson, also known as “Trey,” 50, of Zanesville, Ohio, was sentenced on Thursday, May 28, 2026, to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least January 2020 to in or around March 2021, Nelson conspired with co-defendant Steven Reger and others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area. On March 23, 2021, Nelson aided and abetted in the sale of approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Parkersburg. The Court found Nelson was responsible for over 40 pounds of methamphetamine distributed by him to others.Nelson has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for trafficking large volumes of cocaine, cocaine base, marijuana, and methamphetamine. A federal grand jury indicted Nelson on the current offenses in October 2022 and he evaded capture on the resulting arrest warrant until May 16, 2024. “Despite multiple prior convictions, this criminal flooded our streets with more than 40 pounds of this poison and has been a large-scale drug trafficker for over two decades,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “We pursued an appropriately strong penalty in this case, and we will continue to do so to protect our communities from these dangerous drugs.”Reger, 49, of Morgantown, was sentenced on August 24, 2023, to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe, Joshua Hanks, and Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-196.###
Source: U.S. Department of Justice