United States Drug Enforcement Administration

INDIANAPOLIS - Ten defendants have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a multi-county fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking operation spanning Indianapolis, Muncie, Terre Haute, and other areas throughout the Southern District of Indiana.

Between October 2022 and November 2023, Moore, Kendall, Young, Robertson, Wampler, Fox and Members conspired to operate a large-scale drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine across multiple Indiana counties.

Kendall, who was identified as the leader of the Indianapolis-based distribution network, often used threats to intimidate and control subordinates carrying out his directives. In total, the group was responsible for distributing at least 108 kilograms of methamphetamine, four kilograms of fentanyl and six kilograms of cocaine. On Nov. 8, 2023, law enforcement executed multiple simultaneous search warrants at the defendants’ homes and vehicles, which were being used to store and distribute narcotics and drug trafficking proceeds.

Officers seized 25,000 fentanyl pills, two pounds of methamphetamine, 348.8 grams of cocaine base, 225 grams of cocaine and 487 grams of fentanyl laced with xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer that can slow breathing, heart rate and blood pressure to dangerously low levels, and can decrease the effectiveness of reviving overdoses through use of naloxone.

The following firearms, ammunition, and other items were seized and forfeited:

• C.A.I. Stalb P9R 9mm handgun
• Charter Arms Undercover .38-caliber Special revolver
• Kel Tec .380-caliber handguns (x2)
• Kimber Custom .45-caliber handguns (x2)
• MI2AK l2-gauge shotgun • Norinco SKS 7.62 rifle
• Ruger .45-caliber handguns (x2)
• Sig Sauer P365 9mm handgun
• Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .38-caliber handgun
• Springfield Hellcat 9mm handgun
• Springfield .40-caliber handgun
• .38-caliber Taurus revolver
• Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun
• Glock Model 19 9mm handgun
• Springfield XD semiautomatic
• $18,981 in U.S. Currency
• At least five digital scales
• Cutting agents, including phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole (PTHIT)
• Hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition
• Multiple cell phones

“Dismantling a drug trafficking organization responsible for pumping massive quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities is a major victory for law enforcement and for every Hoosier,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Because of the exceptional, collaborative work of our federal, state, and local partners, we achieved a remarkable outcome that sends a crystal-clear message to major drug dealers: we will continue our relentless pursuit to dismantle your illicit operations and protect the people of Indiana.”

“The scope of this drug trafficking organization and the volume of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine it distributed posed a serious threat to communities across central and southern Indiana,” said DEA Indianapolis District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gerald Dooley. “Because of the strong collaboration between our federal and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we were able to dismantle this network and remove significant quantities of dangerous drugs and firearms from our streets.”

“These sentences send a clear message: if you profit from pumping fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into our neighborhoods, you will pay for it with your freedom,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “These individuals trafficked poison for profit, fueling addiction and violence across Indiana. These prison sentences remove both the dealers and their drugs from our streets — and that makes our communities safer. IRS-CI will continue to work relentlessly with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and shut down every level of these operations and hold accountable anyone who chooses to traffic poison in our communities.”

“It is remarkable what law enforcement agencies can achieve when they work together in true partnership said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo. These individuals brought devastation and chaos to the people of Indiana. Because of their actions, they faced the full force of coordinated law enforcement efforts. Now, they will face the consequences of their crimes within the prison system.”

The DEA, IRS-CI, ATF, IMPD and Vigo County Drug Task Force investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay E. Karwoski and Patrick Gibson, who prosecuted this case.