Powell Gets 32+ Years for $1.8M Meth & Fentanyl Ring

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Dontrell A. Powell, 36, of Springfield, Missouri, will spend the next three decades and beyond behind bars after being sentenced today for his central role in a sprawling drug trafficking conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes handed down a 32 and a half year federal prison sentence without parole, following Powell’s guilty plea on January 21, 2025, to one count each of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The bust, a collaborative effort between multiple federal and state agencies, began to unravel on January 17, 2024, with a routine traffic stop in Oklahoma City. An Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper inspecting a car hauler discovered a staggering 100 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of fentanyl pills expertly concealed within a subwoofer speaker box inside a Dodge Magnum. The estimated street value of the illicit cargo: a cool $1,850,000. Investigators weren’t content with just the discovery. They swapped most of the meth for dummy powder, setting the stage for a controlled delivery.

The following day, January 18, 2024, Dontrell Powell and his brother, Dreshawn Powell, 28, also of Springfield, arrived in a 2018 Mercedes Benz GLE – registered to Dontrell – to claim the rigged shipment. Powell signed for the Dodge Magnum, which had been shipped from California under a false name, and drove off, unaware he was under surveillance. Agents tracked the Powell brothers and two additional codefendants back to Dontrell Powell’s residence, where a coordinated raid quickly followed.

The search of Powell’s home turned up more than just evidence linking him to the drug operation. Authorities discovered an Anderson Manufacturing multi-caliber, semi-automatic pistol, two Glock carrying cases, and three high-capacity Glock magazines – one of which was a drum magazine loaded with 40 rounds. Multiple types of ammunition were also seized, alongside a staggering $140,000 in cash. Further inspection revealed four more large subwoofer boxes and a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol tucked away in the glove box of Powell’s Mercedes.

Powell isn’t the only member of the organization facing serious consequences. His brother, Dreshawn Powell, received a 190-month federal sentence on July 21, 2025, for aiding and abetting the attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon, and investigated by a multi-agency task force including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Parsons Police Department, Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, and Labette County Sheriff’s Department.

The operation falls under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a program dedicated to dismantling the most dangerous criminal enterprises in the nation. According to the Department of Justice, OCDETF utilizes a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these organizations. More information on the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This conviction sends a clear message: moving this quantity of poison through our communities won’t be tolerated.

RELATED: Jersey Woman Convicted in $15K PPP Scam

RELATED: Charleston Woman Admits to PPP Loan Laundering