Lexington Man Sentenced for Armed Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearm Possession Charges

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington man, Victorian Valdimar Hardaway, 36, was sentenced to over 21 years in prison on Friday, October 2, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for armed drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession charges.

Hardaway was convicted in April 2026 of conspiring to distribute aggravated quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine; distributing fentanyl; possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, oxycodone, and methamphetamine; possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.

According to testimony at trial and items seized during a search warrant, Hardaway had large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the apartment where he was staying. Law enforcement recovered numerous items of drug paraphernalia, including a hydraulic press, baggies, cutting agents, a blender, more than $5,000 in bundled cash, and digital scales. Evidence revealed that Hardaway was a large-scale drug trafficker in the Lexington community selling substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone. Hardaway also possessed firearms during drug transactions and another one in the bedroom where many drugs and paraphernalia was recovered. Further, Hardaway's criminal history shows he is a convicted domestic violence aggressor.

Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ron Walker and Aubrey McGuire Girouard, as well as Paralegal Jennifer Short prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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