Eric Jaeshon Ray, also known as “Brody,” 31, and Franklin Fitzgerald Elly, also known as “Costco,” 36, both from Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl. The plea was entered in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia.
Court documents show that from May to July 2025, Ray and Elly worked together and with others to distribute fentanyl in the St. Albans area of Kanawha County. During four occasions between May and June 2025, Elly helped Ray distribute fentanyl to a confidential informant in St. Albans.
Sentencing for Ray and Elly is set for December 15, 2025. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to forty years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the guilty pleas. She recognized the investigative work done by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which includes several local law enforcement agencies: Charleston Police Department, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Nitro Police Department, St. Albans Police Department, and South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN),” according to the press release.
More information about this case can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-128 through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia website.
