Derrick Lee Hodge, Distribution of Fentanyl, West Virginia 2023

BREAKING: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Charge in West Virginia.

A 35-year-old man from Beckley, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl. Derrick Lee Hodge admitted to selling controlled substances containing fentanyl to a confidential informant on multiple occasions.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Hodge sold a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Beckley hotel on February 1, 2023. He also admitted to selling controlled substances containing fentanyl to the informant on January 26 and January 31, 2023.

On February 2, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hodge's Beckley hotel room. During the search, officers seized a small bag containing cocaine, a set of digital scales with purple residue, plastic bags worth $347, and a Ruger Model EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

Hodge admitted that he was distributing drugs out of the hotel room and possessed the seized firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2, 2024 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff's Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

Hodge's case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell. A copy of the press release can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-139.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/beckley-man-pleads-guilty-fentanyl-crime-1