Twin Cities Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Role in Fentanyl Distribution Network

A 25-year-old has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison after playing a key role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy, as announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger, in a case that signals the ongoing battle against opioid-related crimes in the Twin Cities area.

Cornell Montez Chandler, Jr., who was involved from August 2022 through December 2023 in a scheme to spread the potent synthetic opioid across Minnesota and beyond, would travel between Phoenix, Arizona, and the Twin Cities to acquire the drug and send it via the U.S. Postal Service, the shipments were disguised as innocuous gifts, complete with dog treats intended to throw off the scent from drug-sniffing canines but despite these efforts, local law enforcement intercepted packages with over 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills.

The joint investigation effort that led to Chandler’s arrest and subsequent guilty plea involved multiple agencies, including the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team, alongside federal agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations; they put together the pieces of the distribution network leading to the fall of a key trafficker, according to details shared by the

U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Chandler’s plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, entered on June 18, 2024, concluded his involvement in a criminal narrative that has now reached its end with yesterday’s sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan; Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case, highlighting the gravity of the opioid crisis and the law’s rigorous stance against those who fuel its fires.

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