Marion man who ordered Fentanyl through SnapChat sentenced to prison

A Marion man who ordered hundreds of fentanyl-laced pills through Snapchat from a supplier in California was sentenced this week to 42 months in federal prison.

Kobe Malik Woods, 19, pleaded guilty in January to one count of possession with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.

“Throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and across the nation, individuals are struggling with substance abuse disorder, a disease fueled by those who profit from addiction,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Fentanyl-laced pills pose a significant risk of death to anyone who ingests them, and my Office will continue to bring individuals to account for trafficking these deadly drugs in our communities.”

“Our mission is to protect the American people. This includes doing our part working with our local and federal law enforcement partners to identify and arrest those responsible for introducing these pills, or any illicit drug, into our communities,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.

According to court documents, in early 2021, law enforcement began investigating a flood of illegal pill distribution in Smyth County, Virginia, and soon identified multiple people who were involved.  As part of the investigation, law enforcement intercepted a parcel shipped from California and addressed to Woods’s residence that contained approximately 800 fentanyl pills.

Although they resembled pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone-hydrochloride pills, the intercepted pills were inconsistent in size, shape, and color, indicating that they were counterfeit pills.  Pills of this type are sometimes referred to as “Roxicodone,” “pressed,” or “M30” pills.  The pills often have an imprint of an “M” on one side and a “30” on the other side.

In June of 2021, law enforcement executed a controlled delivery of the parcel to Woods’s home in Marion, Virginia.  While conducting surveillance on the residence, investigators observed a woman retrieve the package and take it inside the home. When investigators executed a search warrant at the home, Woods attempted to escape with the opened parcel in his hands but was captured a short distance away.

The Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service—Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce prosecuted the case.