Southwest Virginia Pair Convicted Of Drug And Weapon Charges

A pair of southwest Virginia drug conspirators have been convicted in a four day trial in Abingdon. 44 year old Omar Kareem Banks, of Coeburn, and 37 year old Jimmy Shupe of Pennington Gap were each convicted of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamephetamine. Banks was also convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon. According to evidence presented in the trial, Banks and Shupe were indicted in May of 20-19, along with 19 others as part of a large scale methamphetamine distribution organization in the counties of Lee, Wise, and Scott.