ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday found a fentanyl dealer responsible for the overdose death of a 17-year-old in 2021 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. Keith Edward “Kesso” Matthews, 24, of St. Louis County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September to four felonies...

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has launched a new campaign encouraging the public to make Every Day Take Back Day by utilizing year-round collection sites to dispose of unneeded and unwanted medications. For more than a decade, DEA has worked with state and local law enforcement partners...

Jackson, Miss. – Approximately 40 individuals were arrested Tuesday pursuant to 10 federal indictments filed in the Southern District of Mississippi charging defendants from Lauderdale, Newton, Neshoba, Scott, and Jasper counties in Mississippi, as well as Mexico, California, Texas, and Alabama. The charges stem from a four-year federal investigation of...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing eight firearms. Nicholas G. Gutierrez, 43, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Tuesday, Jan. 23, to 15 years in...

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a semi-truck driver to 12 years in federal prison after he admitted to hauling 88 pounds of heroin, fentanyl, meth and cocaine through southern Illinois. Ledaniel Russell, 50, of Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent...

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment charging 11 individuals in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in southern Illinois and across the country. The indictment charges: Rogelio Martinez-Becerra, also known as “Rodrigo” or “Chaparro” (Shorty), 35, and Ricardo...

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of two cases involving drug trafficking in the Western District of Louisiana. United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced the following defendants yesterday. Lynol Christian, 43 , was sentenced to 156 months (13 years) in prison, followed...

Montgomery, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced the sentences Thursday of eight individuals for distributing methamphetamine in the Phenix City area. This concludes a series of federal sentencings that resulted from a drug trafficking investigation that began in 2020 and covered east Alabama and west Georgia...

NEW ORLEANS – In 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) marked its 50th anniversary as the only federal agency dedicated to fighting deadly drugs and drug-related violence. This milestone celebrated a half century of dedication to fighting drug trafficking in the United States and around the world. Drug trafficking...

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two men Friday for drug trafficking in the Lafayette area. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced James Johnwell, 44, of Crowley, Louisiana, to 71 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for...