A man from Lynchburg, Virginia, has been found guilty by a federal jury of several charges related to drug trafficking and firearm possession. Derrick O’Brian Hamlett, 32, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and 4-anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine (ANPP). He was also found guilty of possessing a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime and as a convicted felon.
The incident leading to these charges occurred on October 26, 2022. Hamlett was the front seat passenger in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation in Vance County. A detective detected the smell of marijuana emanating from the car and observed a marijuana grinder between the front passenger seat and the center console. Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered a backpack with a locked section. Hamlett provided law enforcement with the code to unlock it. Inside were found items including a stolen pistol, a loaded extended magazine, methamphetamine, cocaine, and over 100 dosage units of fentanyl, heroin, and ANPP. Additionally, documents belonging to Hamlett were located within the backpack.
Hamlett is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his status as a convicted felon. He now faces sentencing that includes at least five years in prison up to life imprisonment.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced this development following U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III’s acceptance of the verdict. The case was investigated by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office with support from both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Sampson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jermaine Sellers and David Beraka led prosecution efforts.
