HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A Kentucky man has pleaded guilty in federal court to drug distribution charges connected to a large-scale trafficking investigation in the Huntington area.
Kody D. Harless, 27, of Tomahawk, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, according to court filings.
Prosecutors said Harless obtained approximately 4.75 grams of fentanyl in Huntington on Aug. 15, 2023. Shortly after the transaction, a law enforcement officer stopped the vehicle in which Harless was traveling and seized the drugs. In court, Harless admitted that he arranged the purchase in advance and intended to distribute part of the fentanyl.
Harless also acknowledged participating in a broader drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia. He admitted his involvement spanned from at least July 2023 through November 2023, during which time he regularly received controlled substances from contacts in the Huntington area and transported them to Kentucky for resale.
Harless is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a potential fine of up to $1 million.
The plea is tied to a wider federal investigation that resulted in an indictment against 27 individuals accused of operating a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington region. Harless and one co-defendant pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of those alleged in the main indictment. Twenty-three defendants have pleaded guilty to charges in the primary case, while proceedings against the remaining defendants are ongoing. Authorities noted that indictments are allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a program established in 1982 to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts to dismantle major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations that pose significant threats to public safety and national security.
