MARION, Va. (WJHL) — Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip “Bucky” Blevins said a Marion man was sentenced Tuesday to two and a half years in prison for his role in distributing fentanyl.

A news release from Blevins said that Jeremy Ball, 55, was sentenced to 26 years in the Virginia Department of Corrections with all but two years and six months suspended.

Ball was convicted in February for possession of a weapon of terrorism (fentanyl) with intent to distribute, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (methamphetamine), possession of a firearm with meth and assault and battery on a law enforcement officer.

Ball had no prior criminal history, according to the release, and the Commonwealth did not extend a plea offer in his case.

“Fentanyl is not just a drug—it’s a weapon of terrorism,” Blevins stated in the release. “It is poison, and it is killing people in Smyth County. Drug dealers who bring this kind of devastation into our towns deserve to be in prison—not on the streets. Jeremy Ball is a 55-year-old man who knew exactly what he was doing. The message is simple: Smyth County is no safe-haven for drug dealers.”

According to the release, Judge Jeff Campbell noted that “aggravating factors” in the case included Ball’s age, maturity and the presence of guns alongside narcotics. He also noted the large quantity of substances involved in the case.

“The court’s decision underscores the seriousness with which Smyth County addresses drug-related offenses—particularly those involving fentanyl, which has become a leading cause of overdose deaths across the region,” the release states.