United States Drug Enforcement Administration

HAMMOND, Ind. - On Oct. 29, 2026, Jabari Casey, 45, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of crack cocaine, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Casey was sentenced to a total of 120 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on Aug. 5 and Aug.15, 2025, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to buy quantities of fentanyl-laced heroin and crack cocaine from Casey outside a business in Gary. Later that month, on Aug. 20, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant on Casey’s nearby residence, seizing nearly a pound of fentanyl-laced heroin, a quantity of crack cocaine, packaging material, digital scales, and a Glock pistol.    

“Jabari Casey will spend the next ten years in federal prison for distributing deadly poison into our neighborhoods and using a firearm to protect his illegal trade.  This sentence sends a clear message to those who traffic drugs and inflict violence on our streets: our office, alongside our dedicated law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and prosecute you. We remain fiercely committed to removing armed drug dealers from our neighborhoods and improving the safety of every resident in this district,” said  Adam L. Mildred, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski.