United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – On April 23, 2026, Devin Melvin, 33, of Detroit, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl, announced Northern District of Indiana U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

Melvin was sentenced to 270 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Melvin was the organizer and leader of a fentanyl trafficking group consisting of Clinton Rouse, Tyler Wood, Justin Hervey and Raquan Perry. The group worked together to distribute fentanyl pills throughout Michigan City over a period of approximately 10 months, between October 2023 and July 2024. During the spring of 2024, Melvin, Wood and Rouse lived together at a home in Michigan City, and Melvin would transport tens of thousands of pills from the Detroit area to Michigan City for further distribution by the group. Law enforcement seized approximately 10,000 of these fentanyl pills during its investigation.  

Last year, the other members of the drug trafficking organization pled guilty to various drug and firearm related offenses and were sentenced in federal court. 

On May 20, 2025, Clinton Rouse of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.

On May 22, 2025, Tyler Wood, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced to 160 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and illegal use of a communications facility.

On Feb. 27, 2025, Justin Hervey, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced to 125 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm.

On June 6, 2025, Raquan Perry, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm.

“Illicit fentanyl remains the primary cause of overdose deaths and poisonings in the United States, to include northern Indiana. Often, fentanyl is hidden in the form of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, much like the ones trafficked by Mr. Melvin. Over the course of his unethical, immoral, and illegal career as a drug dealer, Mr. Melvin brought thousands of counterfeit pills, all containing deadly fentanyl, to northern Indiana from Michigan. It is unknown how many lives and families he destroyed. The Drug Enforcement Administration celebrates the collaborative effort among law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels in bringing Mr. Melvin to justice. He is now being held accountable for his crimes, and northern Indiana is safer and healthier because of it," said DEA Merrillville District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alfred "Chip" Cooke.

“Devin Melvin and his accomplices trafficked one of the most harmful drugs into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Mildred. “Twenty-two and a half years in federal prison is the price he has chosen to pay for profiting from his illegal drug enterprise. Let this message be clear to those who seek to distribute this poison into the Northern District of Indiana: our law enforcement team will work tirelessly to find you and stop you. We are safer with this crew behind bars, thanks to the partnership of the DEA and their North Central Laboratory, ATF, the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, Michigan City Police Department, the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, and the LaPorte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan and his office."

“This case is another example of the strength of our shared partnerships in Northern Indiana in addition to highlighting the effectiveness of the Homeland Security Task Force as an important tool in combatting drug trafficking. The defendants in this case put profits over human life and helped contribute to an epidemic that is causing destruction in our cities and neighborhoods. Today’s sentence sends a strong message, but our work is not done. ATF will continue to work with our HSTF and other partners to disrupt firearm and drug trafficking networks and ensure those responsible are held accountable,” said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.

“This case reflects what is possible when agencies commit to a unified, intelligence-driven approach to public safety,” said Michigan City Chief of Police Steven Forker. “This was not a short-term effort—it was a sustained, coordinated investigation that removed a dangerous organization responsible for distributing fentanyl and contributing to violence in our community.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, Michigan City Police Department, the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office, and the DEA North Central Laboratory.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lydia T. Lucius and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.