Illegally Armed Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison

INDIANAPOLIS- LaDarien McGee, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute.

According to court documents, on January 9, 2024, IMPD executed a state search warrant and a fugitive arrest warrant on LaDarien McGee at a gas station, located at West Washington Street in Indianapolis. As law enforcement officers approached McGee, he fled on foot. Officers arrested McGee after a short chase and found a small bag of fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 3.2 grams, on his person. The officers also seized a 9-millimeter Glock handgun from McGee's vehicle at the gas station.

Immediately after McGee's arrest, officers executed a state search warrant at McGee's residence. The officers found a red shoebox in McGee's bedroom, which contained a 39.04 grams of fentanyl pills, a digital scale with cocaine residue, and 13.4 grams of cocaine. The officers also found a 5.7 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and a .357 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver under the pillows on the bed, a 5.56 caliber Kel-Tec AR variant pistol along the wall beside the bed, and a .380 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun in a clothing rack.

McGee has sustained a previous felony conviction for trafficking with an inmate in Hendricks County, Indiana, which prohibits him from ever legally possessing a firearm.

"Fentanyl is devastating our communities at an unprecedented rate. Illegally armed fentanyl dealers pose an even greater danger to the public," said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "We continue to work diligently with the ATF, IMPD, and other agencies to counter these deadly drugs and remove armed fentanyl dealers from our neighborhoods."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley A. Blackington, who prosecuted this case.

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