Alyssa Ellen Hockenberry of Cumberland, Maryland, admitted on Mar. 31 to her involvement in a drug trafficking operation that transported illegal substances from Maryland into the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Hockenberry, age 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Court documents show she was one of the suppliers and distributors who illegally distributed controlled substances in Mineral County, West Virginia and other locations.
She now faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher. Investigative agencies involved include the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Maryland State Police; Hagerstown Police Department; and Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Fentanyl has been designated as a weapon of mass destruction due to its high lethality even in small amounts during President Donald Trump’s administration. This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort led by the Department of Justice targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations while aiming to protect communities from violent crime.
