Memphis, Tennessee – November 2023 to June 2024
Memphis residents have been charged in a wide-ranging fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking case, with 15 defendants indicted on charges including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and firearms offenses. The indictment alleges that the defendants, along with others, worked together to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana throughout the Memphis area.
According to court documents, the investigation recovered two stolen vehicles and seized 29 firearms, five machinegun conversion devices (known as “switches”), over $4,000 in cash, approximately 938 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 541 grams of fentanyl, approximately 200 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, and 26.43 pounds of marijuana.
The defendants charged in the case include:
- Brian Lackland, 34, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, over 500 grams of methamphetamine, and marijuana; possession of firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes; and being a felon in possession of firearms
- Paul Nelson, 31, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and over 500 grams of methamphetamine; and being a felon in possession of firearms
- …and 12 others
The indictment charges the defendants with a range of crimes, including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, possession of firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes, and being a felon in possession of firearms. If convicted, the defendants could face significant prison time, including a mandatory minimum of five years or 10 years in prison for those charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, depending on the amount distributed.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); FBI; U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Multi-Agency Gang Unit; Memphis Police Department; Bartlett Police Department; and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri and U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz made the announcement. Trial Attorneys Amanda Kotula and Aaron Henricks of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Markeis Ivy, Possession of Multiple Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, Tennessee 2019 · Tennessee
- April Lunsford, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Kansas 2023 · Tennessee
- Steven Mark Zuber, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Arkansas 2021 · Kansas
- Alejandro Jose Rojas, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Nevada 2017 · Kansas
- Ronald Freeman, Marijuana Trafficking, Tennessee 2021 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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