Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Memphis, TN – A federal judge sentenced a Memphis man to 14 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess fentanyl with intent to distribute. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, Bartlett Police Department detectives began investigating Derwin Owens, 32, in 2020 for suspected drug trafficking. Over several months, investigators purchased fentanyl from Owens and used tracking devices to identify several residences he used for storing narcotics. On August 13, 2020, investigators executed search warrants on those addresses, leading to the recovery of $33,000 and approximately 4.5 pounds of fentanyl.
In November 2022, Owens pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 1.2 to 4 kilograms of fentanyl.
On February 1, 2024, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes sentenced Owens to 168 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking organizations and organized criminal enterprises, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Bartlett Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.