CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a fentanyl conspiracy in West Virginia.
Eric Jaeshon Ray, also known as “Brody,” 32, was sentenced to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about May 2025 to in or about July 2025, Ray and co-defendant Franklin Fitzgerald Elly conspired together and with other individuals to distribute fentanyl in the St. Albans area of Kanawha County.
On four separate occasions between May and June of 2025, Ray distributed quantities of fentanyl to a confidential informant in St. Albans with Elly’s assistance as part of the conspiracy.
As part of the investigation, officers searched an apartment in St. Albans where Ray was residing and recovered two loaded pistols, approximately 250 grams of fentanyl, approximately 236 grams of oxycodone, and $4,000.
Ray has a criminal history that includes a prior conviction for felony assault with intent to murder and a misdemeanor conviction for assault and battery.
Ray and Elly are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025.
Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative, marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located 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. 2:25-cr-128.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) led the investigation.
Related Federal Cases
- Anthony D. Latham, Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, West Virginia, … · Michigan
- Steven Bailey, Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy, West Virginia 2016 · Virginia
- Ruben L. Aguilar, Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Base, West Virginia 2024 · Michigan
- Mark Cobb, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, West Virginia 2024 · Kansas
- Matthew Little, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, West Virginia 2014 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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