Tennessee’s Michael Wayne Bentley, III, a 28-year-old Gray resident, will spend the next quarter-century behind bars after being sentenced to 284 months in prison for methamphetamine trafficking and firearm offenses.
On December 14, 2023, a jury found Bentley guilty of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and attempting to possess with the intent to distribute the same amount, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)A. He was also found guilty of using, carrying, and/or brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii).
During a three-day trial, evidence presented demonstrated that Bentley arranged to receive deliveries of methamphetamine to the Kingsport area via the U.S. Postal Service from a source of supply located in Mexico. Law enforcement intercepted two postal packages containing a combined total of over 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Agents replaced the methamphetamine in one of the packages with items of a similar weight and delivered the package to Bentley’s grandparent’s residence. Agents observed Bentley’s grandmother accept the package and, shortly thereafter, Bentley arrived at the residence. Once Bentley left, agents approached him and attempted to arrest him. Bentley pointed a firearm at the agents and fled on foot, with agents in pursuit.
Bentley was eventually taken into custody after two agents discharged their firearms at him when he pointed his firearm at them. During a post-arrest interview, Bentley admitted to agents that he had been receiving methamphetamine through the U.S. mail and distributing it. He also admitted to acquiring the firearm for protection from other drug dealers.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Rana M. Saoud of the United States Homeland Security Investigations, and Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke of the United States Postal Inspection Service made the announcement. The investigation was led by HSI Special Agent John Bulla and involved HSI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Second Judicial Drug Task Force.
The prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level drug traffickers and transnational criminal organizations.
Bentley will be on supervised release for five years following his incarceration. The case is a stark reminder of the dangers of methamphetamine trafficking and the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to combat these crimes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee and its law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to disrupt and dismantle methamphetamine trafficking organizations and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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