A Durango man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
William Hunt Hardaway, 40, sold about 500 grams of narcotics to an undercover informant working with the Southwest Drug Task Force, according to a plea agreement he signed with the U.S. District Attorney’s Office.
The transactions occurred in October and November 2022 in Durango.
Hardaway was facing a presumptive range of nine to 11 years in prison based on federal sentencing guidelines. He was sentenced to 10 years and one month on Dec. 18 by federal District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher.
According to a criminal complaint, the Southwest Drug Task Force identified Hardaway as a possible drug dealer in October 2022. The agency enlisted the help of a confidential informant to purchase meth from Hardaway on Oct. 25, 2022.
The confidential informant successfully purchased about 400 grams of meth for $3,000, according to the plea agreement.
The confidential informant then arranged to purchase 1,000 “blues” – blue pills containing fentanyl – and a stolen firearm on Nov. 8, 2022. The confidential informant successfully completed the transaction for $4,500, according to the plea agreement. The pills weighed about 100 grams.
Later that day, the confidential informant discussed purchasing an additional firearm from Hardaway, and the next day was able to purchase a rifle for $900.
The confidential informant purchased two more firearms, including a handgun and a revolver, for $500 on Nov. 22, 2022, according to the plea agreement.
Law enforcement executed a federal arrest warrant for Hardaway on Jan. 6, 2023. He was arrested without incident at a gas station outside Durango city limits.
During the arrest, law enforcement found two baggies of meth on Hardaway’s person weighing a total of 33.6 grams. They also recovered a handgun in his vehicle, according to the plea agreement.
Hardaway, a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing firearms, according to the plea agreement.
Hardaway’s girlfriend, Talia Wakkinen, also pleaded guilty to participating in Hardaway’s distribution operation, according to federal court records. She pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of meth.
She was sentenced Dec. 18 to time already served and five years of supervised release.
shane@durangoherald.com
