Washington – Bartwone Copeland, a member of the notorious No Rats Allowed crew, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for possessing a machine gun and distributing fentanyl. The ruling was handed down by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott, and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith.
Copeland, 28, of Southwest Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on December 4, 2023, to unlawful possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. He will also serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Copeland was deeply involved in drug trafficking operations, operating out of stash houses in the 200 block of K Street SW. His activities focused on distributing fentanyl-laced pills, which he had arranged to be shipped from California. At his two arrests, police recovered over 1,400 pills and more than 150 grams of fentanyl.
During a November 2021 raid at ‘the Dope Hole,’ Copeland was found with 37 grams of crack cocaine, 457 fentanyl-laced pills, $8,696 in cash, and three firearms. One of the guns was modified into an automatic machine gun capable of firing 20 shots per trigger pull.
A week after his first arrest, FBI agents stopped Copeland in Arlington, Va., with a bag containing fentanyl pills and a Glock 23 pistol. A search of his Alexandria apartment yielded additional drugs and cash.
Copeland’s criminal history includes previous convictions for drug trafficking and firearms violations. His sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and the threat he posed to public safety.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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