AKRON, Ohio — A Seneca County man is facing 35 years in prison after being found guilty of trafficking fentanyl that had a street value of approximately $120,000.
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Seth Hoover, 39, of Republic was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Hoover, according to investigators, shuttled drugs and cash for the Sinaloa Cartel from the east coast to the Midwest.
Court documents revealed that Hoover was pulled over for a traffic stop by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on U.S. Route 250 in Ashland in 2021.
"During the traffic stop, Hoover presented fake identification. A search of his vehicle revealed a loaded pistol, approximately 1.8 kilograms of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and items associated with drug trafficking," the U.S. Attorney's Office noted.
The investigation determined the street value of the fentanyl to be approximately $120,000, officials added.
Hoover was indicted by a grand jury in Oct. 2022 and found guilty one year later in Oct. 2023 following a jury trial.
The case was investigated by the DEA-Cleveland District Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, then prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.
