Home Trailer park drug deal lands Hopewell repeat offender back in prison
Local

Trailer park drug deal lands Hopewell repeat offender back in prison

drug illegal court sentence guilty charge
(© fotofabrika – stock.adobe.com)

A Hopewell man was sentenced this week to five years and three months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.

Riezon Mekhi Murphy, 24, is returning to prison related to an incident in August 2022.

According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2022, Hopewell police encountered an Audi vehicle stopped in a roadway within a trailer park.

When the officers illuminated the vehicle, the driver, Murphy, turned off the headlights of his vehicle and reversed down the roadway to a grassy area.

At that time, two other individuals who had been seated together in the front passenger seat of the Audi got out of the car and raised their hands.

An officer requested that Murphy lower his window, then observed an open bottle of tequila and currency strewn about the car.

During a search of the Audi, investigators located a loaded 9mm pistol under the driver seat and a gray backpack in the back passenger area. The backpack contained $1,000 in cash, along with several individual baggies that contained approximately 45 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture, 4.7 grams of fentanyl, 26 grams of cocaine, 96 grams of methamphetamine and 220 grams of marijuana.

Previous convictions

  • Murphy was previously convicted of distributing marijuana and possessing a .380 caliber handgun
  • Six months later, Murphy was convicted for possession of marijuana and a concealed firearm
  • Four months later, Murphy was again arrested and convicted of selling Schedule I or II controlled substances and driving on a suspended license
  • Murphy was discharged from supervised probation on Feb. 7, 2022, six months before his arrest in this case

Multimedia

 




Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, Crystal Graham has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of "Virginia Tonight," a nightly TV news show, both broadcast on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television. You can reach her at [email protected]

Latest News

uva football entrance
UVA Football

UVA Football: ‘Hoos open 2026 season with dominant 34-8 win over NC State

online troll bully
Trump's America

Mark Warner presses Polymarket, Kalshi on election disinformation efforts

Mark Warner and Alex Padilla are pushing for answers from the people who run the Polymarket and Kalshi prediction market platforms amid reports that the platforms are paying influencers to spread election disinformation.

health insurance
State Government

Healthcare: Virginia individual market rates set to increase significantly in 2027

The nine health insurance companies that plan to participate in the Virginia individual market in 2027 have requested rate increases that range from 3.9 percent to 22.7 percent, with an average monthly increase at 16.7 percent.

Fall Foliage at Sherando Lake
Region/State

Fall foliage outlook: Not good, because of the ongoing Mid-Atlantic drought

uva soccer
UVA Olympic Sports

Soccer: Virginia snaps early losing skid, with dominant 4-0 win over American

uva field hockey
UVA Olympic Sports

Field Hockey: #5 Virginia escapes in opener at Penn State, winning in OT, 4-3

blue ridge parkway
Arts & Culture

Blue Ridge Parkway author event at Humpback Rocks Visitor Center next weekend