Devin Melvin, a 33-year-old from Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced on April 23 to 270 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl. United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty handed down the sentence, which also includes five years of supervised release, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Melvin led a group that distributed fentanyl pills throughout Michigan City between October 2023 and July 2024. Law enforcement seized about 10,000 fentanyl pills during the investigation. Authorities said Melvin transported tens of thousands of pills from Detroit for further distribution by his associates.
Other members of the organization—Clinton Rouse, Tyler Wood, Justin Hervey, and Raquan Perry—were previously convicted and sentenced for related drug and firearm offenses in federal court last year. Sentences ranged from more than six years to nearly sixteen years in prison.
“Devin Melvin and his accomplices trafficked one of the most harmful drugs into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Mildred. “Twenty-two and a half years in federal prison is the price he has chosen to pay for profiting from his illegal drug enterprise. Let this message be clear to those who seek to distribute this poison into the Northern District of Indiana: our law enforcement team will work tirelessly to find you and stop you. We are safer with this crew behind bars, thanks to the partnership of the DEA and their North Central Laboratory, ATF, the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, Michigan City Police Department, the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, and the LaPorte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan and his office,” Mildred said.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke commented on how illicit fentanyl remains a leading cause of overdose deaths nationwide: “Illicit fentanyl remains the primary cause of overdose deaths and poisonings in the United States, to include northern Indiana… The Drug Enforcement Administration celebrates the collaborative effort among law enforcement at local, state, and federal levels in bringing Mr. Melvin to justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon stated: “This case is another example of strength… The defendants put profits over human life… Today’s sentence sends a strong message but our work is not done.”
Michigan City Chief of Police Steven Forker added: “This case reflects what is possible when agencies commit to a unified approach… It was a sustained investigation that removed a dangerous organization responsible for distributing fentanyl.”
The case was investigated by several agencies including DEA; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives; local police departments; county sheriff’s office; prosecutor’s office; with prosecution led by Assistant U.S Attorneys Lydia T Lucius & Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
This prosecution falls under initiatives such as Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) established by Executive Order 14159 aimed at eliminating criminal organizations operating within US borders as well as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which seeks collaboration between law enforcement agencies & communities toward reducing violent crime.
