United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Alfred A. Cooke III, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-Merrillville, Indiana, and U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson for the Northern District of Indiana announced that Jarin Devon Noojin, 26, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl resulting in death.

Noojin was sentenced to 286 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

“The CDC estimates that 76,226 persons died in 2022 from drug overdoses involving Synthetic Opioids (fentanyl),” said U.S. Attorney Johnson. “The evidence in this case established that this defendant was a dealer who was responsible for one of those deaths.  Noojin’s criminal actions were particularly coldhearted because he knew that he was making and selling “pressed” fentanyl pills, pressing those pills to look like prescription medication, and that “his” pills were causing overdoses.  As this prosecution shows, my office will prosecute, to the fullest extent that federal law allows, purveyors of deadly synthetic opioids.”

According to documents in the case, in October 2022, Noojin sold fentanyl pills to an individual who thereafter died from acute fentanyl toxicity after consuming some of the pills. The investigation revealed that despite knowing that the pills he trafficked were involved in this death, Noojin continued selling fentanyl pills.  Law enforcement learned that Noojin had been selling fentanyl for months prior to the victim’s death and that he personally witnessed at least one other person overdose multiple times from using the fentanyl he sold. Noojin was well aware of the risk of overdose that came with consuming the pills he sold, warning one of his customers not to mix other prescriptions with his pills.

“The actions of Mr. Noojin played a devasting and horrific effect on society, which included the death of an individual. The Drug Enforcement Administration and its partners will continue to work tirelessly to hold fentanyl dealers, such as Mr. Noojin, and drug trafficking organizations accountable for their brutality and cruelty,” said DEA Merrillville ASAC Cooke.   “Law enforcement remains engaged and motivated to remove the plague of drug trafficking; evil will never win. There is no room in Michiana, or anywhere across the region, for those who think dealing illicit fentanyl is a way of life. DEA expresses its sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased in this incident, and to all families of those lost to fentanyl.”

This case was investigated by the DEA and the DEA’s North Central Laboratory with assistance from the St. Joseph County Police Department, the Cass County Michigan Sheriff’s Office, the Cass County Michigan Medical Examiner’s Office, NMS Labs, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine Medical Examiner and Forensic Services.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katelan McKenzie Doyle and Joel Gabrielse.