Repeat drug trafficker sentenced to 11 years for dealing meth while on supervised release

A 40-year-old repeat offender who dealt methamphetamine and cocaine in Thurston County while he was on supervised release from a prior conviction was sentenced to 132 months in prison Tuesday.

David Nathaniel Hoffman, informally known as “Fat Nate,” was arrested on August 8, 2025 after three incidents in March and July 2025 when law enforcement confirmed he had sold methamphetamine, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.

When Hoffman was taken into custody, he had cocaine and a firearm with a serial number removed. The DOJ noted that Hoffman is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2019 federal conviction for drug trafficking and assaulting another federal inmate, which resulted in serious bodily injury.

Hoffman was released from a 64-month sentence for drug trafficking in August 2024, according to records filed in the case. While Hoffman was on federal supervision, he soon returned to drug use and drug trafficking and absconded from supervision. When Hoffman appeared before his sentencing judge, he was jailed for two months for the supervision violations.

On May 1, 2025, he began federal supervision for a second time, though he continued to sell drugs, which resulted in his arrest on August 8, 2025.

Hoffman bragged about being the county’s most well-known drug dealer

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said that Hoffman had a “long-standing pattern of drug distribution and criminal conduct, including while on federal supervised release, which shows disregard for the law.”

During a drug deal in a motel parking lot on July 15, 2025, Hoffman told a confidential source that he was the most “well-known drug dealer in the County.”

Hoffman was indicted for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. Hoffman pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Hoffman also admitted to conspiring to distribute suboxone within the federal prison where he was serving his previous federal sentence.

“Hoffman has been a pernicious presence in Thurston and Mason Counties. Simply put, whenever Hoffman is not in custody, he continues to distribute large amounts of dangerous drugs,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham wrote when asking for a 144-month sentence. “As evidenced by his comments to the confidential source, he has significant criminal contacts and larger-scale sources to supply him with controlled substances. Hoffman also exhibits complete disregard for the law and the Court by selling drugs and ignoring the terms of his supervision.”

Hoffman was sentenced to 10 years on the drug trafficking and firearms convictions and an additional 12 months for his eight violations of supervised release for his prior drug trafficking conviction.

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