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More than two dozen Indiana residents were among 29 people sentenced to federal prison for allegedly running an armed fentanyl and meth trafficking ring.
Between January 2020 and November 2021, the individuals worked together to distribute a total of nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamine and over three kilograms of fentanyl, according to court documents.
Authorities seized over 80 pounds of methamphetamine, over 560 grams of fentanyl, and $240,000 in United States currency.
Jeremy Smith, 35, of Indianapolis, was cited as the leader of the operation. He was as sentenced to 20 years in prison.
He was accused of selling up to 20 pounds at a time to 36-year-old Antonio DeJarnett of Evansville, who authorities said would distribute his purchases to distributors across Indianapolis and Evansville.
DeJarnett was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison.
In September 2021, Smith began selling large quantities of fentanyl-laced pills, which were sold throughout southern Indiana, authorities said.
Smith allegedly used violence and intimidation to further his drug business, often having his distributors robbed at gunpoint of their drug proceeds.
Several members of the ring used firearms to protect their profits. Law enforcement seized over 30 firearms over the course of the investigation.
“Drug use devastates so many families and kills hundreds of Hoosiers every year,” said John E. Childress, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “That’s why we will work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to dismantle armed organizations trafficking in deadly drugs. The sentences imposed in this case demonstrate our continued commitment to protecting the public from these dangerous criminals.”
The 24 other Indiana defendants received prison sentences ranging from three to 25 yearsm, with some including up to five years of supervised release.
“Dismantling a major drug trafficking organization that was responsible for distributing multi-hundred-pound quantities of methamphetamine and kilogram quantities of fentanyl onto the streets of Indiana was a big win for law enforcement,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Michael Gannon. “Because of the exceptional collaborative efforts by law enforcement, we were able to achieve this remarkable outcome.”
The case was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for Southern Indiana.
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