Treasure map leads officers to buried fentanyl

NORFOLK, Va. - Two men pled guilty for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl after law enforcement followed a treasure map to buried drugs.

According to court documents, on Dec. 7, 2021, Ronald Devon Matthews, 39, was arrested at his home in Isle of Wight County and has remained in custody since the day of his arrest. Following his arrest, Matthews authorized Demetris Alexander Daniels, 34, of Hampton, to live in the residence.

On Aug. 11, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Matthews on three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. On Sept. 29, 2022, Matthews pled guilty to all three counts, and on Feb. 24, 2023, he was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.

Prior to his arrest, however, Matthews buried 383.02 grams of fentanyl in the ground outside his home for future distribution. On May 2, 2023, while incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Petersburg, Matthews drew a map of his property indicating the location of the buried fentanyl. Matthews drew the map on the reverse side of a sales invoice issued in his name at Petersburg FCC. Matthews transferred the map to Daniels, so that the fentanyl could be retrieved and sold. Matthews also contacted a witness and solicited the witness' assistance in helping Daniels locate the buried fentanyl.

In May or June 2023, Daniels unsuccessfully tried to find the fentanyl by digging in the yard. On June 15, 2023, the witness contacted Daniels by phone and agreed to meet on June 18, 2023, to look for the fentanyl.

On June 16, 2023, law enforcement officers with the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant on the residence with Daniels present. Investigators located the map in the bedroom used by Daniels. Following the map, the officers discovered the spot where the drugs were buried and recovered a container with the fentanyl inside.

On Sept. 30, Matthews pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.

Daniels pled guilty today to being an accessory after the fact to maintaining a drug-involved premises. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and James R. Clarke Jr., Isle of Wight County Sheriff, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General's Office, are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-69.