A Parkersburg man is facing serious prison time after pleading guilty to a federal drug charge this week in Charleston.
Aaron Lee Mitter, 39, admitted in court to selling 24.52 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on July 11, 2024, in exchange for $280. But the case didn’t stop there.
During the same transaction, Mitter also sold a privately made, unregistered firearm—commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”—and a high-capacity magazine that holds up to 45 rounds of ammunition. That sale brought in another $400.
The charges were handled in U.S. District Court in Charleston, where Mitter pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of methamphetamine distribution.
Just six days after the drug and firearm deal, on July 17, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Parkersburg apartment where Mitter had been staying. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, officers found an additional 45.67 grams of meth during the search.
Mitter admitted he intended to use some of the meth for himself and sell the rest, further reinforcing the government’s case against him.
Now awaiting sentencing, Mitter could face up to 20 years in federal prison. He also faces at least three years of supervised release and a potential fine of up to $1 million. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 22.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston praised the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, and the Parkersburg Police Department. U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin is overseeing the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting.
The case highlights the growing concern around ghost guns and meth distribution in the region—both of which law enforcement continues to target aggressively.
