Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Eric Jaeshon Ray, also known as “Brody,” 32, was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about May 2025 to in or about July 2025, Ray and co-defendant Franklin Fitzgerald Elly conspired together and with other individuals to distribute fentanyl in the St. Albans area of Kanawha County. On four separate occasions between May and June of 2025, Ray distributed quantities of fentanyl to a confidential informant in St. Albans with Elly’s assistance as part of the conspiracy.

As part of the investigation, officers searched an apartment in St. Albans where Ray was residing and recovered two loaded pistols, approximately 250 grams of fentanyl, approximately 236 grams of oxycodone, and $4,000.  In all, Ray was held responsible for possessing or distributing approximately 1 pound of fentanyl.   

Ray has a criminal history that includes a prior conviction for felony assault with intent to murder and a misdemeanor conviction for assault and battery.

Ray and Elly are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025.  Five defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty. Ray and Elly are among four additional defendants who pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. Elly, also known as “Costco,” 36, pleaded guilty on September 2, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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. 2:25-cr-128.

###