NORFOLK, Va. – A twist straight out of a crime novel led law enforcement to a stash of buried fentanyl, thanks to a hand-drawn map from an inmate. Two men have now pled guilty in connection to the drug distribution scheme that spanned from an Isle of Wight residence to federal prison.
The story began when Ronald Devon Matthews, 39, was arrested at his Isle of Wight County home on December 7, 2021, and has remained in custody ever since. Shortly after, he allowed Demetris Alexander Daniels, 34, of Hampton, to move into the residence.
After his arrest, Matthews was indicted for multiple counts of illegal firearm possession and received a six-year, nine-month prison sentence in early 2023. But before his incarceration, he buried 383 grams of fentanyl in his yard, intending to distribute it later.
While behind bars at the Federal Correctional Complex in Petersburg, Matthews crafted a map detailing the hidden location of the drugs. He sketched it on the back of a sales invoice issued to him and passed it on to Daniels, hoping his associate could dig up the stash and sell it. Matthews also reached out to another witness, urging them to help Daniels with the recovery effort.
By May or June of 2023, Daniels had tried to find the fentanyl but came up empty. On June 16, law enforcement, including officers from the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office and the ATF, executed a search warrant on the property. Inside, they found the map in a bedroom used by Daniels. Using the map as their guide, officers uncovered the hidden drugs.
On September 30, Matthews pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess fentanyl, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum of five years and a potential maximum of 40 years in prison. His sentencing is set for April 11, 2025.
Daniels, who pled guilty to being an accessory after the fact, could face up to 10 years behind bars, with his sentencing scheduled for May 1, 2025. While both men face serious penalties, federal sentences are often determined by guidelines that weigh various factors.
This case underscores the persistence of law enforcement and the strange lengths some will go to conceal their crimes—sometimes with a map leading right back to the evidence.