ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) — A man from Wise County has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for trafficking significant quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin into Southwest Virginia.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that James Edward Williams, 43, admitted in February 2025 to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and intending to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

The DOJ detailed that in April 2024, Williams sold about 41 grams of methamphetamine to confidential informants from his home on two occasions. In July, Williams crashed a vehicle while carrying a loaded handgun, 25 grams of meth, two baggies of “green plant material,” and smoking paraphernalia.

Two weeks after the crash, Williams was stopped by police and did not pass a standard sobriety test. A vehicle search unveiled meth on his person, approximately 44 grams in the car, and three lock boxes each containing a pistol. An illegal silencer and a plastic bag with fentanyl and/or xylazine were also found, according to the DOJ.

Williams was previously sentenced to 10 years on drug charges in 2017.

The case was investigated by the DOJ in collaboration with the Southwest Drug Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Police Department, Virginia State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.