United States Drug Enforcement Administration

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Alfred A. Cooke, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration office in Merrillville, Indiana, and U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson of the Northern District of Indiana announced that Ronnie L. Rutherford, Jr., 45, of Fort Wayne, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady, on his plea of guilty to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Rutherford was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by eight years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, between June and July 2021, four controlled buys of cocaine and fentanyl were made from Rutherford. Based on the buys, a search warrant was obtained and executed on July 15, 2021. During the search, officers located 240 grams of marijuana, over 90 grams of fentanyl, over 60 grams of cocaine, along with other evidence of drug distribution and almost $4,000 cash. Rutherford had a previous federal conviction for carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

This case was investigated by the DEA and Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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