Prolific area heroin dealer gets prison

Dan Holtz, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Mar. 17—EAU CLAIRE — A Minnesota man who repeatedly sold heroin in the Eau Claire area will spend seven years in prison.

Corey N. Hobbs, 35, of Woodbury, was sentenced Wednesday in Eau Claire County Court to three felonies: two counts of heroin delivery and one count of possession of heroin with intent to deliver.

Judge Sarah Harless ordered Hobbs to spend 20 years on either extended supervision or probation following his release from prison. Hobbs was fined $2,312.

As conditions of supervision and probation, Hobbs cannot have contact with the confidential informants from the case, gang members or known drug dealers or users.

A total of $560 that was confiscated from Hobbs at the time of his arrest will be forfeited to the West Central Drug Task Force.

Hobbs must also undergo any recommended programming or treatment.

According to the criminal complaint:

A confidential informant told police in September 2019 that Hobbs was willing to sell heroin to multiple people in the Eau Claire area. The informant said Hobbs was from Minnesota and frequently used rental cars to sell illegal drugs in Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley.

Police used informants to conduct controlled buys of heroin from Hobbs in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls in 2019 on Sept. 9, 17 and 24, and Oct. 2 and 8. Police then executed a search warrant at Hobbs' room at the Westgate Motel, 1439 N. Fairmont Ave.

Hobbs was arrested in the motel parking lot in October 2019. He told police he knew what this was all about. He told investigators the drugs were in a suitcase on the dresser. The suitcase contained 64 grams of heroin in multiple bags.

The heroin appeared to be in varying amounts in the different bags. There were a large number of corner-cut bags that all appeared to contain 1-gram quantities of heroin. Police also found a digital scale and $2,818 in cash.

Hobbs was prosecuted as a repeat offender. He was convicted of felony counts of possession of narcotic drugs and receiving stolen property, respectively, in June 2004 and March 2016 in Minnesota's Ramsey County.

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