Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

BECKLEY, W.Va. - Derrick Lee Hodge, 35, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 1, 2023, Hodge sold a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Beckley hotel where Hodge was staying. Hodge admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling controlled substances containing fentanyl to a confidential informant on January 26 and January 31, 2023, in Beckley.

On February 2, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hodge's Beckley hotel room. Officers seized a small bag containing cocaine, a set of digital scales with purple residue, plastic bags $347 and a Ruger Model EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun during the search. Hodge admitted that he was distributing drugs out of the hotel room and possessed the seized firearm.

Hodge is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff's Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.

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. 5:23-cr-139.

###