Traffic Stop Sparks Massive Drug Bust, Three Arrested in Henry County, Va.

Henry County Sheriff's deputies turned a Friday morning traffic stop into a major drug operation on Feb. 21, 2026, arresting 67-year-old Claude Donnell Woods after a K-9 alerted to suspected crack cocaine, cash and firearms in his vehicle. Woods, a convicted felon residing on the 380 block of Out-A-Way Drive in Bassett, faces charges including possession with intent to sell cocaine and methamphetamine, possession of schedule I/II drugs with a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is held without bond at the Henry County Adult Detention Center.[1][3] Executing a search warrant at Woods' residence around 11:45 a.m., deputies discovered evidence of drug distribution, arresting 47-year-old Verlon Reno Hall, who barricaded himself in a structure on the property. SWAT deployed chemical munitions to take Hall into custody; he faces charges of resisting arrest, obstructing justice, false identification to law enforcement and three counts of probation violation from Franklin County. As the search continued, 57-year-old Leroy Ellis arrived and was recognized as a fugitive wanted by Martinsville Police on charges including assault on a law enforcement officer, obstruction of justice, trespassing and drunk in public; he is held on a $1,000 secured bond.[1][3] Authorities seized approximately 13 ounces of crack cocaine, five ounces of methamphetamine, digital scales, eight firearms, three motor vehicles, three ATVs, a utility trailer and other equipment in the bust. The investigation remains ongoing with potential additional charges, amid Henry County's persistent challenges with opioid and meth trafficking in the rural Piedmont region near Martinsville.[1]