The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced on May 18 that a 25-year-old south Minneapolis man has been indicted on federal drug trafficking charges. The man was taken into custody on Feb. 11 after federal agents, sheriff’s deputies and police officers executed a search warrant at his residence. He is being detained at the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River while he awaits trial.
The investigation into the man’s alleged criminal activities, which was launched in 2019, was prompted by a tip from an informant. Officers from the Minneapolis Police Department and deputies from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office assisted Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives during the course of the investigation. The informant told police that the man manufactured opioid pills in his residence and then sold them out of his Toyota sedan in fast-food restaurant parking lots and other locations.
Investigators gathered evidence against the man by placing a tracking device on his car. They also intercepted a package containing about 2 pounds of pills that was allegedly sent to him. This evidence was then used to obtain a search warrant. During the course of the search, investigators allegedly found more than 1,000 fentanyl pills and over $30,000 in U.S. currency. Fentanyl is an extremely potent opioid painkiller that has been linked to a wave of overdose deaths in Minnesota and around the country.
Individuals facing drug charges are often urged to provide information about their suppliers in return for more lenient sentences. Criminal defense attorneys would likely advise criminal suspects to speak with a lawyer before accepting or rejecting such offers. This is because attorneys with experience in plea negotiations may be able to convince prosecutors to offer more favorable terms in return for valuable information.
