Detroit Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty To West Virginia Drug Distribution
Saturday, July 26, 2025, 12:15 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BECKLEY, W. VA.- A 32-year-old Detroit, Michigan, drug dealer will be facing up to 20 years in federal prison, when sentenced, after pleading guilty yesterday to selling fentanyl to an informant not once but twice in Beckley, West Virginia, back in September of 2023.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, on Friday, July 25, 2025, Daviontae Lately, also known as “Detroit Dave,” 32, of Detroit, Michigan, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn to one count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance, Fentanyl.
When Sentenced, Detroit’s Dave Faces Up To 20 Years
Following entering his guilty plea on Friday, Judge Aboulhosn accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 14, 2025. At that time, Lately faces a mandatory minimum and up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
According To Court Documents
According to charging documents and statements made during Lately’s plea hearing, on September 7, 2023, during an ongoing narcotics investigation, Lately sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant during a controlled buy under the observation of law enforcement Investigators from a Beckley, West Virginia, residence where Lately was staying.
During his plea allocution, Lately admitted to selling the fentanyl to the informant and further admitted to selling a quantity of fentanyl to the same confidential informant on September 8, 2023.
Following conducting the two controlled buys, on September 12, 2023, Investigators obtained and executed a court-authorized search warrant at the Beckley residence where Lately was staying. During the search, Investigators located and seized additional quantities of fentanyl, an amount of crack cocaine, approximately $9,360 in U.S. currency, including the $1,400 from the controlled buys involving the confidential informant.
Lately, further admitted on Friday, stating that he intended to distribute the seized fentanyl and crack cocaine, and the seized cash was the proceeds of drug trafficking activity.
Acting U.S. Attorney Johnston commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which led to Lately’s guilty plea on Friday.
