An Illinois man has received a 30-year prison sentence for distributing a substantial quantity of fentanyl, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana. Marco Sole, 52, of Lynwood, was sentenced to 360 months behind bars followed by four years of supervised release, highlighted the announcement by Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
The conviction stems from an incident on June 2, 2022, where Sole delivered over 40 grams of the potent opioid to another party. Documents reveal that he also trafficked the drug across Illinois and Indiana, at times using an intermediary to handle the deliveries, according to the official statement. A search at a Chicago stash house linked to Sole led to the discovery of additional fentanyl and firearms.
"This hefty sentence should make one thing clear to any out-of-state drug dealer who might be planning to traffic his poisons in Indiana: the state line will not shield you, and you will be brought to justice," declared Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. Uncovered during the investigation was Sole's method of spiking heroin with other lethal substances such as p-flourofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, and xylazine before distributing these drugs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The joint operation that led to Sole's conviction involved multiple agencies, including the FBI, GRIT Task Force, DEA, HIDTA, Indiana State Police, and support from the Lynwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Toth and Kristian R. Mukoski prosecuted the case, which forms part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative. This initiative, derived from Executive Order 14159, aims at dismantling criminal operations that pose threats within and outside U.S. borders, focusing particularly on child trafficking and other crimes against children.
The coordinated efforts under the Homeland Security Task Force in Indianapolis combine the resources and expertise of numerous law enforcement agencies, striving to prosecute and, when applicable, deport violent criminal aliens. The task force is committed to the safety and stability of communities by targeting a broad spectrum of criminal activities perpetuated by organized crime networks.
