CHARLESTON – Catra Nelson, 50, of Zanesville, Ohio was sentenced to 12 years in prison with five more years of supervised release on May 28.

Nelson was sentenced 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 a release from the Department of Justice.

It was reported from Jan. 2020 to March 2021, Nelson and others distributed methamphetamine to the Parkersburg area.

According to the release, Nelson was responsible for distributing over 40 pounds of methamphetamines. On March 23, 2021, Nelson aided in the sale of about 428.1 grams of the drug to an unidentified individual in Parkersburg.

Nelson was reported to have a criminal history of trafficking “large volumes of cocaine, cocaine base, marijuana, and methamphetamines.”

Nelson was indicted in Oct. 2022 but evaded arrest 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.”

Co-defendant Steven Reger, 49, of Morgantown, was sentenced Aug. 24, 2023 to five years and three months in prison. Upon release from prison he would be supervised for three years.

Reger pled guilty to “aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to the release, U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston gave the sentence and Assistant Attorneys Jeremy Wolfe, Joshua Hanks and Negar Kordestani prosecuted the case.