HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Another cog in the poison machine has turned informant. Jeremiah Telmon-Isaiah Hand, a 29-year-old hailing from Inkster, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distributing methamphetamine in the heart of Huntington. The feds say ‘Joey’ Hand, as he’s known on the streets, isn’t just a small-time dealer; he’s part of a larger network flooding West Virginia with deadly drugs.
According to court documents, on July 17, 2024, Hand peddled roughly 29 grams of meth for a measly $180 to a confidential informant near Ritter Park. This wasn’t a spontaneous act; Hand admitted to pre-planning the deal and having 26-year-old Madison Grant Sergent of Huntington along for the ride. The deal went down, the drugs changed hands, and the investigation tightened its grip.
But the story doesn’t end there. Just five days later, on July 22, 2024, a Huntington officer pulled over a vehicle driven by Hand. Inside, they found $1,465 in cash – dirty money from the meth trade, according to the prosecution. Seated beside him was 31-year-old Rakai Travall Hawkins, also of Detroit, Michigan. Hawkins has already pleaded guilty to possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, a particularly nasty combination, and is awaiting sentencing on November 3, 2025.
Hand now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars, plus at least three years of supervised release and a potential $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for December 15, 2025. Sergent, however, remains a free man for now, with the indictment against him still pending. Remember, an indictment is just an accusation, and Sergent is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston touted the bust as a win for Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), a federal effort to stem the tide of synthetic opioids. This case is also woven into Operation Take Back America, a sweeping initiative aiming to dismantle drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The feds are throwing everything they have at these groups, streamlining resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
This isn’t about ‘taking back America’ as the DOJ claims; it’s about chasing profits and locking up individuals like Hand and Hawkins. The investigation was led by the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, with assistance from the Huntington Police Department. U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers oversaw the proceedings, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case. For the full record, check case number 3:25-cr-51 on PACER or the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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