Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking

MINNEAPOLIS - A Minneapolis felon has been sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl pills, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on November 28, 2022, Kristopher Raphael Owens, 31, was driving a gold Chevy Tahoe in Minneapolis and was pulled over by law enforcement. As officers approached the vehicle, Owens fled on foot. Officers pursued and apprehended Owens in a nearby yard, where he was arrested. Officers discovered $1,286 on his person and also found two Ziploc baggies containing 1,874 blue pills along the path on which Owens had fled. The pills were tested later and determined to contain fentanyl. Owens admitted that they were his and that he intended to distribute them.

On March 13, 2024, Owens pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Joan N. Ericksen.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp prosecuted the case.