WISE COUNTY, VA – Randall Scott Hileman, 56, of Wise County, is headed to federal prison for a decade after pleading guilty to a multi-faceted drug and weapons conspiracy. Hileman received a 120-month sentence Wednesday for conspiring to distribute and possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and illegal firearm possession as a convicted felon.
The case against Hileman unfolded through five undercover drug buys in 2021 and 2022, where he allegedly peddled methamphetamine to confidential informants. But the operation hit a snag in September 2022, when law enforcement moved to arrest Hileman on outstanding warrants. A standoff ensued, and officers discovered Hileman armed with four firearms and a stash of ammunition – a clear violation of federal law given his prior felony drug convictions.
Court documents reveal Hileman wasn’t operating alone. He confessed to a connection with Justin Elliott, previously identified as a significant methamphetamine trafficker following his August 2021 arrest in Coeburn, VA. That earlier bust netted a substantial quantity of methamphetamine and several additional firearms. The investigation expanded, linking both men to a two-year trafficking operation flooding Southwest Virginia with “crystal ice” methamphetamine.
Authorities now estimate Hileman and Elliott were responsible for trafficking over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine into the region, with some of the product boasting a purity of 100 percent. Elliott already received his sentence – a hefty 188 months in federal prison – back in May. The scale of the operation points to a well-established network pushing dangerous narcotics throughout the area.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the ATF’s Washington Division jointly announced Hileman’s sentencing. The investigation was a collaborative effort, bringing together the ATF, Coeburn Police Department, Norton Police Department, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, and the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force.
The prosecution fell to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section. With no parole in the federal system, Hileman will serve the full ten years, a hard lesson learned in the escalating war on drugs in Southwest Virginia. The ATF continues to target major drug traffickers and those who illegally possess firearms, ensuring the region’s safety.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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