Bluefield man convicted on felony drug charges in Fayette County

FAYETTEVILLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – One man has been convicted on felony drug charges in Fayette County.

According to Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Ciliberti, Jr., on Thursday, April 18, 2024, Deron A. Yarrell, age 27 of Bluefield, West Virginia, was convicted of drug related felony offenses following a three-day jury trial before Circuit Judge, Thomas H. Ewing.

On the evening of February 26, 2023, a member of the Oak Hill Police Department was engaging in traffic enforcement activities on U.S. Route 19. The officer observed a Jeep motor vehicle traveling north and well over the posted speed limit.

The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and identified the driver of the vehicle as Cory L. Callen.

When questioned, the passenger was unable to provide the officer with any identification and provided the name of “Allen Jackson” with a date of birth.

Upon investigating further, the officer determined there was no person with the name Allen Jackson with the date of birth provided by the passenger in any state database.

Upon being questioned, Callen also told the officer the passenger’s name was “Allen Jackson.”

Callen was also untruthful with the officer about his destination. Using a portable fingerprint scanner, the passenger’s true identity was determined to be Deron A. Yarrell.

The officer also determined that Yarrell had outstanding warrants for his arrest from Tazewell, Virginia. Both Callen and Yarrell were arrested and the Jeep vehicle was impounded.

A search warrant was obtained for the search of the Jeep vehicle with digital scales and a large quantity of suspected controlled substances being found, including over four hundred pills.

Subsequent laboratory testing determined that 400 pills found in the Jeep vehicle contained a mixture of fentanyl and tramadol and 20 pills were pharmaceutical oxymorphone.

Laboratory testing additionally determined that Callen and Yarrell were in possession of one ounce of powder fentanyl and one ounce of powder cocaine.

Yarrell was convicted of the felony offenses of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, oxymorphone, cocaine, and tramadol and Yarrell was further convicted of the felony offenses of possession of fentanyl, oxymorphone, cocaine, and tramadol with the intent to deliver.

Yarrell is facing ten years in prison for the conspiracy conviction, one to fifteen years in prison for the convictions involving fentanyl, oxymorphone, and cocaine, and one to three years in prison for the
conviction involving tramadol.

Yarrell has a prior drug related felony conviction which gives the judge the option to double his sentences. Yarrell also has pending felony drug charges in Marion County.

Yarrell’s co-defendant, Cory L. Callen, age 33 and also of Bluefield, West Virginia, plead guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy on April 9, 2023 and is facing up to ten years in prison.

This crime was investigated by the Oak Hill Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Ciliberti, Jr.