MINNEAPOLIS — A judge sentenced a 25-year-old man to 13 years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation that led to the largest fentanyl bust in Minnesota history.
Cornell Chandler Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in June, he became the first of nine defendants charged in the conspiracy to enter a plea.
Court documents show that between August 2022 and December 2023, Chandler regularly flew from the Twin Cities and Phoenix, Arizona to purchase fentanyl and ship it to addresses in and around the Twin Cities for distribution.
Chandler and his co-defendants allegedly placed the drugs in plastic bags hidden inside stuffed animals. The packages were then disguised as birthday presents. The packages were also lined with dog treats to prevent drug-sniffing dogs from alerting them.
In early 2023, a joint operation between the sheriff’s offices of Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties led to the seizure of 280,000 fentanyl pills, or 30,000 grams. The estimated street value was more than $2.2 million, according to the Washington County Drug Task Force.
Chandler’s prison sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release.
Eight others were charged: Shardai Allen, Quijuan Bankhead, Stardasha Davenport-Mounger, Fo’Tre White, Robiel Williams, Da’Shawn Natori Domena, Phyu Win Jame and Amaya Tiffany-Nicole Mims.
Fentanyl was involved in more than 90% of all opioid-related deaths and more than 60% of all overdose deaths in the state in 2022, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Health.
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