LEXINGTON, Ky. – D’Angelo S. Yarbrough, 31, of Detroit, will spend the next 23 years and four months behind bars after being sentenced to 280 months in federal prison Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Yarbrough was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime – a dangerous combination fueling the opioid epidemic gripping the nation.
The bust went down September 22, 2022, at the Bluegrass Airport. Law enforcement, acting on an outstanding arrest warrant, pulled Yarbrough over and a search of his vehicle revealed a mobile fentanyl lab. Inside, agents found approximately 60 grams of pressed fentanyl pills – enough to kill tens of thousands – along with a blender, a pill press, and a substantial quantity of cutting agents used to stretch the deadly drug. But the danger didn’t stop there.
Adding to the severity of the charges, officers also discovered a loaded firearm inside the vehicle. The weapon was later determined to be a machinegun, dramatically increasing the potential for violence and escalating the crime. The presence of the firearm triggered the mandatory minimum sentence associated with using a weapon during a drug trafficking offense, cementing Yarbrough’s lengthy prison term.
Yarbrough pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2023, likely hoping for a reduced sentence. However, U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell wasn’t swayed. Federal law dictates Yarbrough must serve at least 85 percent of his 280-month sentence before becoming eligible for release. Even then, he will face five years of supervised release under the watchful eye of the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was a joint effort between the FBI’s Louisville Field Office, the ATF’s Louisville Field Division, and the Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos led the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV, along with Special Agents in Charge Michael E. Stansbury (FBI) and Shawn Morrow (ATF), and Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers, jointly announced the sentencing, emphasizing their commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks.
This case was brought under the umbrella of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN) program, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime. Shier, coordinating PSN efforts in the Eastern District of Kentucky, stated the program is designed to tackle crime through investigation, prosecution, prevention, and reentry efforts – a multi-faceted approach to public safety in a region battling a surge in drug-related violence and overdoses. The goal? To get poisoners like Yarbrough off the streets and prevent future tragedies.
Related Federal Cases
- Tyrone D. Trumbo Jr., Alleged Drug Trafficking, Kentucky, 2023 · Kentucky
- Richard Alexander Murdaugh, Drug Trafficking, Charleston SC, 2023 · Alabama
- Donte Booker, Cocaine Trafficking and Robbery, Cleveland OH, 2023 · Ohio
- Daniel J. Brown, Labor Trafficking, Ashland OH, 2023 · Ohio
- Chauncey D. Dennis, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Cleveland OH, 2014 · Illinois
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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