Leonard Brandon Joe Rice, Fentanyl Distribution, West Virginia 2021

A Kentucky man was brought to justice for his role in a fentanyl distribution ring operating in the Huntington area of West Virginia. Leonard Brandon Joe Rice, 35, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on May 24, 2021, Rice used a telephone to arrange the purchase of fentanyl in Huntington. He then traveled from Louisa, Kentucky to Huntington where he received the fentanyl.

Rice was stopped by a trooper with the Kentucky State Police who seized the fentanyl Rice purchased. Rice admitted that he received fentanyl in Huntington from the beginning of 2020 through July of 2021. During that period, Rice redistributed some of the fentanyl he purchased in Huntington to other individuals in the Louisa, Kentucky area.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force, and other law enforcement agencies. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence, which was announced by United States Attorney Will Thompson. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.

The investigation was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.

Rice’s sentence is a significant blow to those involved in the fentanyl distribution ring, and it serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of engaging in such activity.

Residents of Huntington and surrounding areas can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that law enforcement is working tirelessly to combat the opioid epidemic and bring those responsible to justice.

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