United States Drug Enforcement Administration

ABINGDON, Va. – A federal jury in Abingdon convicted a Georgia man yesterday for conspiring to traffic methamphetamine from Georgia into Southwest Virginia.

Jerada “Rod” Henderson, 40, of Locust Grove, Georgia, was convicted by a jury on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of more than 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Henderson was arrested in October 2018 for conspiring with others to traffic methamphetamine from Georgia into Smyth County for redistribution.

Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division; U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia; and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division announced the conviction today.

Henderson will be sentenced on May 3, 2022. The defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The investigation was conducted by the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

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