Convicted gunman in drug-house homicide will serve over 20 years in prison
Roanoke, Virginia – Aaron Lee Woods, who entered a guilty plea regarding charges tied to a fatal incident near a narcotics-related residence, has now been sentenced to a prison term.
Woods has been assigned a sentence of 20 years and seven months in federal prison due to his involvement in the fatality of Jacob Aldridge, a 19-year-old.
The charges against him were “Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana” and “Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and did knowingly and intentionally discharge said firearm.”
In the unfortunate event of 2018, Aldridge was fatally shot in the back of the head whilst departing from the narcotics-related dwelling, located on Eastern Avenue.
The US Attorney’s Office provided the following account: “In the early evening hours of July 10, 2018, a vehicle carrying five individuals approached the Eastern Avenue apartment whereupon a firefight ensued between the suspects, Harvey, Woods, and Custer, and the newly arrived individuals. Whilst four of the individuals made an escape on foot, the fifth person, Aldridge, was in the process of driving away from the scene when he was struck by a bullet in the back of the head, resulting in his death.”
Darion Harvey, another involved party, has already been handed a 26-year sentence for his participation in the shooting. The sentencing for Chad Custer is pending, following his guilty plea submitted concurrently with Woods’ in 2022.
The investigation reveals that Woods, Harvey, Custer, and other associates utilized Woods’ apartment on Eastern Avenue as their primary hub for large-scale marijuana distribution within the Roanoke Valley. This operation lasted from late 2017 to approximately August 2019. Eyewitnesses reported a constant flow of customers visiting the apartment throughout the day and night to purchase marijuana from the defendants, who openly displayed their loaded firearms.
Firearms used by Woods, Harvey, and Custer during the altercation, including high-powered, military-style rifles equipped with laser sights, as well as multiple handguns and ammunition, were recovered by investigators, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
