Lexington Man Convicted of Armed Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearm Possession Charges

LEXINGTON, Ky. After a three-day trial, a Lexington man, Victorian Valdimar Hardaway, 36, was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Lexington for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and a detectable amount of oxycodone; 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. Hardway 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, First Assistant 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 conviction.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Lexington Police Department. The U.S. Attorney's Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ron Walker and Aubrey McGuire Girouard.

Hardaway will appear for sentencing in August 2026. He faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.

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