HUNTINGTON, W.
Va. – William Louis Johnson III, also known as “BJ,” 40, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 12, 2025, Johnson sold approximately 389.2 grams of methamphetamine and 1 gram of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $2,400. As part of his guilty plea, Johnson admitted that the confidential informant contacted him beforehand to arrange the transaction, that it occurred at a Huntington residence, and that co-defendant Elizabeth Jane Cumper delivered methamphetamine to him for the transaction.
Johnson further admitted that law enforcement officers in Ohio seized cash proceeds from fentanyl distributions during two different traffic stops of vehicles he was in while traveling from Huntington to Detroit. Officers recovered approximately $27,951 on March 17, 2025, and approximately $22,803 on July 9, 2025.
Johnson also admitted to selling methamphetamine on four occasions in August 2025, each time to a confidential informant in exchange for $650. Johnson sold approximately 110 grams of methamphetamine on August 7, 2025, approximately 107 grams of methamphetamine on August 11, 2025, and approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine on August 20, 2025, each time after the confidential informant contacted co-conspirator Joshua Willie McCarver. On August 14, 2025, Johnson sold approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine during a transaction arranged by co-conspirator Darnell Marice McCarver.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
Darnell Marice McCarver, also known as “WAP,” 20, of Detroit, was sentenced on April 13, 2026, to 12 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture. His uncle, Joshua Willie McCarver, also known as “TJ,” 28, of Detroit, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 23, 2026, after pleading guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Four other co-defendants pleaded guilty in the case. The indictment is pending against Elizabeth Jane Cumper, 45, of Marlette, Michigan, and one other co-defendant. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and the Huntington Police Department, and the assistance provided by the Ohio Highway Patrol and the Marion County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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. 3:25-cr-154.