WHEELING — A Wheeling man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a multi-state fentanyl trafficking operation that stretched from Nevada to the Ohio Valley.

Matthew Clemont, 33, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.

Prosecutors said Clemont was part of a broader drug trafficking network involving 13 distributors who worked together to move blue fentanyl pills disguised as prescription medication into communities across the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia and the Ohio Valley. Of those defendants, nine have been convicted, with two already sentenced and the remaining cases still pending.

“Clemont was one of several individuals who worked together to distribute deadly pills disguised as legitimate prescription medication in our communities,” Harvey said. “Our message is simple: anyone who traffics fentanyl will face swift and serious consequences in the Northern District of West Virginia.”

Authorities said the operation linked suppliers in Las Vegas to local distributors in the region. Clemont’s case was investigated by multiple agencies, including the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, Marshall County Drug Task Force, Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, Wheeling Police Department, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office and the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.

Officials said the prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative targeting drug trafficking organizations.