Devonte Darnell Hassell, Fentanyl Trafficking, Iowa 2024

DES MOINES, Iowa – A shocking crime scene has unfolded in Des Moines with the indictment of five individuals in a massive fentanyl trafficking operation.

Devonte Darnell Hassell, 28, also known as ‘Domo’, ‘Dom’, and ‘Rose’, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, a crime punishable by a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury in Des Moines on December 18, 2024, also names Ryan Redmond, 31, also known as ‘Chiefy’, who faces a mandatory minimum 5-year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the same charges.

Kevin Stanley Harris, Jr., 42, also known as ‘Rylo’ and ‘Big Hands’, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, carrying a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Harris is also alleged to have a prior serious drug felony conviction.

Adonis Angel Devora, 43, and Ricky Jamall Ellis, 30, are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, with Devora facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and Ellis facing a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

The five individuals were arrested on December 18, 2024, in Des Moines and Houston, Texas, as part of a months-long investigation into fentanyl distribution in the Des Moines area. The investigation, led by the Des Moines Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the FBI Des Moines Central Iowa Gang Task Force (CIGTF), resulted in the seizure of approximately 610 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture, 135 grams of methamphetamine, 260 grams of marijuana, 19 firearms, and over $13,000 in U.S. currency.

The charges against the five individuals stem from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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