Six individuals have been slapped with charges in what authorities are calling a heinous fentanyl distribution scheme in Minnesota's Twin Cities area. These individuals allegedly spread the highly potent narcotic, fentanyl, in local communities, hiding these deadly pills inside the innocent guise of stuffed animals, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The accused, identified as Cornell Montez Chandler Jr., 24, Robiel Lee Williams, 23, Quijuan Hosea Bankhead, 30, Stardasha Christina Davenport-Mounger, 24, Fo'Tre Devine White, 26, and Shardai Rayshell Allen, 24, face conspiracy charges over allegations of distributing the drug from August through December 2022, according to U.S. Attorney's Office.
Investigators say the group sourced their fentanyl from Phoenix suppliers and then took the creative, yet nefarious step to stash the drugs in plush toys, before shipping them off to addresses across the Twin Cities. Their tricks did not fool law enforcement, as multiple task forces from Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties caught a whiff of the operation, and in a coordinated effort, intercepted six shipments loaded with over 30,000 grams of the opioid.
The sinister parcel-pushing plot ended with the six seeing the inside of a courtroom for their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty, reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
