Derrick Russell Hoff, 36, of Chisago County, is headed to federal prison for 175 months after a violent road rage incident exposed a cache of methamphetamine and a buried 9mm handgun. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, includes five years of supervised release and marks the end of a criminal spiral rooted in guns, drugs, and unchecked aggression.
On July 12, 2020, Hoff didn’t just cut someone off—he ran a vehicle off the road, opened fire with multiple shots at two occupants, then rammed their car while it was stranded. He fled the scene, abandoning his pickup truck on a residential driveway in a panic. What he left behind sealed his fate: spent shell casings, live rounds, a loaded 9mm magazine, and over 167 grams of crystal meth stashed in four gallon-sized plastic bags—enough to fuel a small-scale distribution ring.
Chisago County Sheriff’s deputies combed the area and found more than drug paraphernalia. Buried near the truck, hidden beneath trees, was a 9mm semiautomatic firearm loaded with 11 rounds—ballistically matched to those recovered inside the vehicle. The gun was registered to no one, but its owner was clear: a man with a rap sheet that barred him from owning any firearm under federal law.
Hoff has prior felony convictions in Anoka, Chisago, and Isanti Counties—stripping him of the right to possess firearms or ammunition at any time. Yet he carried, shot, and fled from a loaded weapon while trafficking a significant quantity of methamphetamine. Digital scales and baggies found in the truck pointed to distribution, not casual use. This was commerce in chaos.
On June 17, 2021, Hoff pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. No excuses, no trial—just a quiet admission of guilt before the judge. Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats confirmed the sentencing announcement, underscoring the federal crackdown on repeat offenders armed and dealing.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, then prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar. For Hoff, the road rage incident was the last turn in a long descent. Now, he’ll serve nearly 15 years behind bars—paying for every shot fired, every gram pushed.
Related Federal Cases
- Zakaree Stelzer Gets 5 Years for Meth Haul in Wisconsin · Wisconsin
- Meth Hauler Morris Gets 10 Years Federal Time · Minnesota
- Fort Dodge Meth Dealer Gets 42 Months · Minnesota
- Algona Man Admits to Major Meth Run · Minnesota
- James Joseph Thompson Sentenced in Meth Sting · Minnesota
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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