Arizona Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

ST. PAUL, Minn. - An Arizona man has been sentenced to 150 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for attempted possession with intent to distribute over two kilograms of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on November 18, 2023, officers with the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) responded to a 911 call regarding an unsolicited package containing a white powdery substance. They field tested the substance, determined it was narcotics, removed and replaced it with a GPS tracking device. Special agents from Homeland Security Investigations later observed Paris Jackson, 39, picking up the package at the residence and attempted to stop him as he returned to a waiting vehicle with the package in hand. Instead, Jackson fled and was pursued by law enforcement. He ultimately crashed into an SPPD squad car at approximately 80 miles per hour, which resulted in life threatening injuries to his passenger and minor injuries to an SPPD officer. He fled from the scene and was ultimately apprehended.

On June 20, 2024, Jackson pleaded guilty to attempted possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Jackson has a criminal history dating back to 2001, including multiple felony convictions for controlled substance offenses. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Paul A. Magnuson.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Baumel and Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.