MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A brazen fentanyl trafficker with a lengthy rap sheet is headed for decades in federal prison. Derrick Maurice Scott, 34, of Maple Grove, Minnesota, was sentenced to 360 months – 30 years – today after being convicted of trafficking fentanyl while illegally possessing a fully automatic machinegun. The sentence was handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen.
The case unfolded last June when Minneapolis Police Department officers responded to a complaint of a man threatening another individual at a convenience store, brandishing what turned out to be a firearm. Just two days later, on June 6, 2022, officers spotted Scott as a passenger in a vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. A search of the vehicle revealed 355 fentanyl pills – enough to kill countless users – and a Glock 41, .45 caliber pistol. But this wasn’t just any handgun.
Authorities quickly discovered the Glock had been modified with an illegal “auto-sear” switch, effectively turning it into a machinegun. The weapon was also equipped with a high-capacity magazine, dramatically increasing its potential for deadly harm. Given Scott’s extensive criminal history – including prior convictions for aggravated robbery, domestic assault, and terroristic threats – he was already prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
A federal jury didn’t buy Scott’s excuses. On February 7, 2023, they found him guilty on all counts: possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, carrying a machinegun during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, possession of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm as a felon. The mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years reflects the severity of the crimes and the danger Scott posed to the community.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Minneapolis Police Department, highlighting the importance of interagency cooperation in tackling the growing fentanyl crisis and the proliferation of illegal weapons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Hollenhorst and Chelsea A. Walcker skillfully prosecuted the case, ensuring justice was served.
Scott’s 30-year sentence sends a clear message: those who flood our streets with deadly fentanyl and arm themselves with illegal weapons will face the full force of federal law. The Grimy Times will continue to monitor this case and report on the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and gun violence in Minnesota and across the nation.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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