ST. CLAIRSVILLE — On Thursday, a Belmont County Jury found Brandon Gaffney guilty of all counts of drug possession and trafficking. Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan tried the case and said that the verdicts were returned after three days of testimony.

Flanagan said that Gaffney was charged with selling an ounce of methamphetamine on April 20, 2024 to an undercover informant working on behalf of the Criminal Interdiction Unit of the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office. From that day, further investigation ensued in order to determine the level of drug trafficker that the Unit was dealing with, according to Flanagan. They were then able to determine that Gaffney was making multiple trips outside of the area and engaging in other activity that led the Unit to believe that Gaffney was significantly involved in the drug trade.

On June 21, 2024, after extensive investigation, the investigating officers requested a search warrant. During the search, the officers found over 160 grams of methamphetamine and a relatively large amount of fentanyl.

Flanagan said that Judge John Vavra presided over the trial and scheduled sentencing for March 10, 2025.

Flanagan credits the Drug Interdiction Unit of the Sheriff’s Office with their aggressive approach to drug trafficking and traffickers. “The detectives in that unit work very hard to monitor any efforts to stop trafficking in this county. They are an absolute asset and deserve the credit for the outcome of this case. We do greatly appreciate the work that they do,” said Flanagan.

Flanagan added that his office will be heard at the sentencing and will be making a recommendation for an extensive prison sentence given the nature of the charges and the history of Mr. Gaffney.