Three Arrested After Deputies Discover Fentanyl-Laced Drugs in Marion County

FAIRMONT, WV — December 3, 2025

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Wednesday that deputies arrested three individuals on drug-related charges after executing an operation Tuesday evening that led to the discovery of fentanyl mixed with marijuana and methamphetamine inside a residence in Marion County. In a statement posted publicly on the official Facebook page of the Marion County WV Sheriff’s Office, deputies reported the arrests of Steve Shaffer, Joey Shaffer, and Travis Price following the recovery of multiple controlled substances during the investigation. The Sheriff’s Office announcement identified the three by name and confirmed that deputies found fentanyl-laced marijuana and fentanyl-methamphetamine mixtures among the evidence collected at the scene.

According to the Sheriff’s Office’s post, deputies conducted the operation Tuesday evening, detained the suspects, and recovered fentanyl in multiple forms along with other drug-related items. The post directed the public to WDTV Channel 5 for additional coverage, and reporting from WDTV provided further details including quantities of drugs found, packaging materials, paraphernalia, and the conditions under which the arrests were made. WDTV’s reporting is based on the law-enforcement announcement and identifies the discovery of 5.3 grams of fentanyl, 4.6 grams of a fentanyl-meth mixture, and 8.8 grams of marijuana that tested positive for fentanyl, along with mushrooms, cash, and a firearm recovered at the residence.

This case fits into ongoing regional enforcement efforts targeting fentanyl distribution across North-Central West Virginia. In recent months, multiple first-hand releases from the City of Fairmont Police Department and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force have documented large-scale trafficking activity involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other controlled substances moving through Marion, Monongalia, and surrounding counties. Federal releases from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia have also reported repeated cases where fentanyl is trafficked in combination with methamphetamine or sold in mixtures resembling the substances deputies discovered in Marion County.

The Tuesday operation adds another confirmed instance of fentanyl being found in mixed or adulterated street-level drugs within West Virginia, a pattern already documented in several law-enforcement cases in the Charleston, Beckley, Fairmont, and Northern Panhandle regions. While the Sheriff’s Office provided confirmation of the arrests and the substances involved, additional procedural details such as bond information or subsequent court filings were not immediately included in the first-hand announcement.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office stated only the essential facts of the arrests and the recovered narcotics. At this time, the Appalachian Post can only confirm the information made publicly available through the Marion County WV Sheriff’s Office and the additional reporting provided by WDTV, and no further first-hand details have been released by county or state authorities.

The Appalachian Post is an independent West Virginia news outlet dedicated to clean, verified, first-hand reporting. We do not publish rumors. We do not run speculation. Every fact we present must be supported by original documentation, official statements, or direct evidence. When secondary sources are used, we clearly identify them and never treat them as first-hand confirmation. We avoid loaded language, emotional framing, or accusatory wording, and we do not attack individuals, organizations, or other news outlets. Our role is to report only what can be verified through first-hand sources and allow readers to form their own interpretations. If we cannot confirm a claim using original evidence, we state clearly that we reviewed first-hand sources and could not find documentation confirming it. Our commitment is simple: honest reporting, transparent sourcing, and zero speculation.

Primary First-Hand Sources:

• Marion County WV Sheriff’s Office — Official Facebook post: “Marion Co. Deputies arrest 3 on Drug Charges. Full story on WDTV Channel 5.” (December 3, 2025).
• City of Fairmont Police Department / Three Rivers Drug Task Force — News release detailing a multi-location drug operation in Marion and Monongalia counties that seized fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, firearms, and cash (June 16, 2025).
• City of Morgantown / Mon Metro Drug Task Force — Companion news release on the same Fairmont–Morgantown operation involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances (June 16, 2025).
• U.S. Attorney’s Office – Northern District of West Virginia — Press release summarizing drug task force activity and seizures over the previous year, including fentanyl and methamphetamine quantities across the district (August 27, 2025).
• U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of West Virginia — Press releases documenting cases in which defendants distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston and Beckley areas, including mixtures of the two substances (July 28, 2025; September 4, 2025; November 20, 2025).

Secondary Attribution-Based Sources:

• WDTV Channel 5 — News report on the Marion County operation describing quantities of fentanyl, fentanyl–methamphetamine mixture, fentanyl-laced marijuana, mushrooms, a firearm, cash, and drug paraphernalia recovered at the scene, citing the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.