HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Eric Wade Thompson, 36, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 26, 2026, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Thompson’s apartment in Huntington and seized approximately 123.5 grams of fentanyl, approximately 92 grams of crack, and $1,763. As part of his guilty plea, Thompson admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the seized controlled substances, that the seized cash was proceeds from drug sales, and that officers executed the search warrant after he sold fentanyl to a confidential informant on multiple prior occasions.
Thompson also admitted that he arranged the sale of approximately 6.5 grams of fentanyl by another individual in Huntington on February 11, 2026, and personally sold approximately 6.9 grams of fentanyl on March 11, 2026, and approximately 9 grams of fentanyl on March 20, 2026, each time inside his residence. All three sales were to a confidential informant.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah N. Hudson and Joseph F. Adams are 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. 3:26-cr-66.
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of West Virginia — U.S. Department of Justice press release.