Henrico man, ‘career criminal’ sentenced to almost 3 decades in prison for distributing fentanyl

HENRICO COUNTY, VA. (WRIC) — A Henrico County man described as a “career criminal” by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) was sentenced to nearly three decades in prison on Friday for distributing fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to the DOJ, 38-year-old Dominic J. Coley was sentenced on Friday, Aug. 16, to 27 years in prison for these charges relating to federal drug trafficking.

Court documents state that Richmond law enforcement conducted three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Coley between Feb. 10 and March 3 of 2022.

On March 22, 2022, locations and vehicles which authorities knew were associated with Coley were searched under search warrants. According to the DOJ, law enforcement found several items of interest during these searches.

At one residence, law enforcement found two semiautomatic handguns, a semiautomatic rifle, 13.8 ounces of fentanyl and 4.3 ounces of cocaine. From another residence, law enforcement recovered $16,085 and a .45 caliber handgun.

When they found and arrested Coley that same day, law enforcement reportedly found another firearm on his person — a .40 caliber handgun. None of these guns could be lawfully possessed by Coley, who was a “career criminal with previous felony convictions,” according to the DOJ. Convicted felons cannot legally have guns.

At the time of his arrest in 2022, Coley is said to have told law enforcement that he had been purchasing about two kilograms of fentanyl from California for distribution over the past year.

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