Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Emariel Kanay Tyler, 20, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 29, 2023, Tyler traveled from a Charleston apartment to a residence in Wyoming County with quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Tyler admitted that she used her cell phone to arrange the sale of the fentanyl to someone at the residence, discussing the meeting location and the prices to be charged for the fentanyl. Tyler exchanged the fentanyl for payment at the meeting location, but further admitted that she returned to Charleston with both the money and the fentanyl.

Tyler is scheduled to be sentenced on February 26, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting 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. 2:24-cr-186.

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