Derek L. Taylor, Cocaine and Firearm Possession, Indiana 2023

FORT WAYNE – A local man has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his role in a cocaine trafficking operation.

Derek L. Taylor, 47, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

Taylor was sentenced to 197 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, in August and September 2023, Taylor distributed cocaine. Search warrants resulted in the recovery of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and M30 pills containing fentanyl, along with three handguns, a stolen semi-automatic rifle, multiple digital scales, baggies, and a substantial amount of powder used in the distribution of narcotics.

Taylor was previously convicted twice of distributing drugs and was also previously convicted of felony battery, making him a career offender for purposes of federal sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Also assisting this investigation was the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

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