Aaron Christopher Stidham, Fentanyl Trafficking, Virginia 2023

ABINGDON, VA – Aaron Christopher Stidham, 22, of Exeter, Virginia, is headed to federal prison for five years after admitting to running a fentanyl pill distribution network fueled by social media. Stidham was sentenced this week to 60 months for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl – enough to kill countless users.

The operation, exposed by a joint investigation, ran from February 2021 to February 2022. Court documents reveal Stidham wasn’t dealing on street corners; he was sourcing deadly pills through Snapchat and Instagram, ordering roughly 1,000 pressed fentanyl pills every few weeks from a supplier in California. The drugs were shipped to Big Stone Gap, Virginia, a small town now grappling with the fallout of Stidham’s greed.

Stidham didn’t work alone. He quickly built a network of co-conspirators to help him move the poison. Paul Mason Perkins of Big Stone Gap, Austin Jeremiah Lane of Norton, Virginia, and Cheyenne Cassie Carico, also of Norton, all played a role in reselling the fentanyl pills, turning a profit off the misery of others. Authorities haven’t detailed the sentences, if any, for these individuals at this time.

“This case highlights the dangerous intersection of social media and the opioid crisis,” stated U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh. While the statement offers little comfort to a community ravaged by addiction, it underscores the evolving tactics of drug traffickers. The ATF’s Washington Division, led by Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai, spearheaded the investigation, alongside the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Atlanta Division, headed by Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke.

The bust was a collaborative effort, involving the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Police Department, Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force (a consortium of multiple county sheriff’s offices and city police departments), ATF, and the Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher skillfully prosecuted the case, securing the 60-month sentence for Stidham. But the fight is far from over.

The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the ongoing opioid epidemic plaguing Southwest Virginia. The ease with which Stidham obtained and distributed fentanyl through social media serves as a grim reminder of the challenges law enforcement faces in stemming the flow of these deadly drugs. The question remains: how many lives were lost due to Stidham’s calculated greed?

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