Will A. Harris, Jr., Methamphetamine Trafficking, Indiana 2021

A Fort Wayne man has been sentenced to 262 months in prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking operation.

Will A. Harris, Jr., 38, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Harris was arrested on January 15, 2021, after a vehicle pursuit by the Fort Wayne Police Department. During the pursuit, Harris threw baggies of methamphetamine and a firearm out of the car onto the street. Officers were able to recover the discarded narcotics and the firearm. When apprehended, Harris physically assaulted an officer and later made threats to harm officers and their families.

Harris has previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including Dealing Cocaine, Battery, Battery to a Law Enforcement Officer Resulting in Injury, and Theft, making him a career offender for purposes of the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Harris was also on probation at the time he committed his current offense.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.

This case was being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.

Harris was sentenced to 262 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/pr/fort-wayne-man-sentenced-262-months-prison-0