Mark O’Neil Robinson, Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking, Tennessee 2024

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Four Charged with Fentanyl Trafficking in Knoxville, Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In a shocking turn of events, four individuals have been charged with fentanyl trafficking in Knoxville, Tennessee.

According to the indictment, Mark O’Neil Robinson, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia; Christopher Harold Roberts, 57, of Knoxville, Tennessee; Brian Kirksey, 44, of Knoxville, Tennessee; and Donnie Lee Oliver, 55, of Powell, Tennessee, have been charged with a conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A).

Robinson is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, including a firearm equipped with a silencer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). Roberts is also charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).

All four defendants have entered a plea of not guilty and have been set for trial on September 24, 2024, before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court at Knoxville.

If convicted, Robinson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 60 years and up to life, as well as other penalties. Kirksey and Oliver each face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and up to life in prison and other penalties. Roberts faces a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 15 years and up to life in prison and other penalties.

United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.

This indictment is the result of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Quencer and Caroline Poore will represent the United States.