FAYETTEVILLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Fayette County man was sentenced Tuesday by Circuit Judge Thomas H. Ewing to 60 years in prison for crimes in relation to conspiracy to deliver illicit substances.
The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of Fayette County reports that, on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, Jard W. Hendrick – 42 years old, formerly of Oak Hill, WV – was sentenced by Judge Ewing in relation to a conviction issued for the felony offense of conspiracy to deliver fentanyl, and more than fifty grams of methamphetamine.
Judge Ewing sentenced the defendant to serve 60 years in prison for the conviction, and Hendrick must serve a minimum of 15 years in prison before he can become eligible for parole.
In the rendering of this decision, Judge Ewing made note of Hendrick’s role as a member of a significant drug trafficking organization which is said to have enabled out-of-state drug dealers to expand their network into West Virginia, specifically the Fayette County region.
Judge Ewing would further note that significant harm had been brought to the community as a result of the activities of this organization. Hendrick reportedly was the live-in boyfriend of Heather Hewitt, who herself was recently sentenced to up to 90 years in prison as the leader of this drug trafficking organization.
These crimes date back to at least June of 2021, when the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task force initiated an investigation into a significant drug trafficking organization operating primarily in the Fayette County area. The results of this investigation determined Hewitt to have been the leader of the organization, and that she was being assisted with distribution of these substances by others, including Hendrick.
Through a confidential informant, a Task Force began to process of making methamphetamine and fentanyl purchases from this trafficking organization. Hendrick himself was involved in the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from the period of August 2021 to February 2022.
Hendrick was also involved in the transportation of large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the state. During his February 2022 arrest, Hendrick was discovered to have been in possession of over a pound of fentanyl, two pounds of methamphetamine, approximately three ounces of cocaine, $125,172 in cash, multiple sets of digital scales, and five firearms.
Additional cash was seized from additional locations subsequent to Hendrick’s arrest, with the total cash seized amounting to just over $250,000. Ledgers were also found at the Hendrick/Hewitt residence which documented the distribution of over 14 pounds of controlled substances.
“The hard work of the officers of the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force put an end to a significant drug trafficking organization that had been operating in Fayette County,” said the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of Fayette County.
The case was investigated by the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney, Anthony Ciliberti, Jr. and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney R. Wes Toney.