Apr. 18—SOUTH BEND — Cornelius Nelson, 34, Elkhart, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced Tuesday known.
Nelson was sentenced to 66 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to a news release.
“According to documents in the case, from June through mid-August 2021, Nelson conspired with others to distribute fentanyl in the Michigan City area,” the release said. “Nelson supplied controlled substances and was present and helped facilitate other transactions when co-defendants sold pills purporting to be oxycodone that were actually fentanyl. Nelson admitted to selling fentanyl to customers, handling money and assisting in the re supplying controlled substances.”
Nelson is the last member of this group to be convicted in this case. Others previously convicted:
* Rico Marion — 444 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release;
* Brandon Harris — 151 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release;
* Meliki Marion — 130 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release; And
* Carissa McCoy – 63 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (including the Chicago Field Division, the Merrillville District Office, the Amarillo Texas Resident Office, and the Albuquerque New Mexico District Office) with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, an Indiana HIDTA Initiative, and the Michigan City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly L. Schultz and Joel Gabrielse.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, the news release said.
