A Saginaw man has been handed down a 15-year sentence in federal prison for possessing over ten pounds of methamphetamine, a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed on Wednesday. Devante Thomas, aged 32, pleaded guilty to charges entailing his intention to distribute the drugs, which led to his imprisonment.
During a traffic stop conducted by the Michigan State Police on I-75 earlier this year, officers found four kilograms of methamphetamine in Thomas's vehicle. Following this discovery, a coordinated enforcement effort resulted in authorities swiftly execute a search warrant at his Saginaw residence. Inside, an additional 579 grams of methamphetamine, along with 27 grams of fentanyl, 108 grams of cocaine, and four firearms were recovered by the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team and special agents from the ATF, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed the sentence upon Thomas, citing the severity of the charges and his plea of guilt. The U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., along with ATF's Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office, James Deir, announced the sentencing outcome.
The investigation leading up to Thomas's arrest was a joint operation, involving the ATF and the Michigan State Police Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team. The case was subsequently prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Orr, who emphasized the impact of removing such a significant quantity of narcotics from the community.
