A Fort Wayne man has been sentenced to 360 months in prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation.
Kendrick D. Bates, 40, was found guilty of distributing methamphetamine, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and maintaining a drug-involved premises, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.
The charges against Bates stem from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Fort Wayne Police Department, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory, the Fort Wayne Police Laboratory, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service.
Bates was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady on [no date provided]. He was also ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release following his prison term.
According to documents in the case, Bates distributed methamphetamine in late 2021 and maintained a drug distribution house from September 2021 through March 2022. When his residence was searched in March 2022, several firearms were recovered. Since Bates had a previous felony conviction for dealing in cocaine, narcotic drug, or methamphetamine, he was prohibited from possessing the firearms in this case.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, which targets high-level drug traffickers and money launderers. It was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence.
Bates was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Teresa L. Ashcraft.
Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News