A civil forfeiture action connected to a major drug trafficking investigation could bring about $1.1 million in money and assets to Mercer County — an amount officials say may set a local record.
According to Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Cochran, the forfeiture filing stems from the September arrest of Tevas Jermaine Hill, 47, of Princeton, following a Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigation into alleged large-scale drug distribution.
Multiple search warrants executed in the case led officers to seize approximately 140 pounds of suspected controlled substances, including:
51 pounds of fentanyl
66 pounds of methamphetamine
23 pounds of marijuana
Investigators also recovered more than $677,000 in cash, three vehicles, firearms, and a $300,000 home that prosecutors say was purchased with proceeds from illegal activity.
Hill is charged with eight counts of delivery of a controlled substance. He remains incarcerated at Southern Regional Jail under no bond on federal charges and a $250,000 cash-only bond on the Mercer County charges. Hill’s wife, who was also named in the civil action, has not been identified publicly and is currently out on bond.
Cochran noted that state law allows law enforcement agencies, through the prosecutor’s office, to pursue money and property tied to criminal activity, with the assets then used to support public safety.
“This statutory framework ensures that seized assets support law enforcement and community safety,” Cochran said. “It ultimately reduces the financial burden on local taxpayers and strengthens our collective ability to prevent, deter, and investigate crime in Mercer County.”
He added that available records indicate this action is likely one of the largest — if not the largest — civil forfeiture filings in county history.
The Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force includes officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Bluefield Police Department.