Cincinnati Man Convicted of Fentanyl Trafficking

LEXINGTON, Ky.- A Cincinnati, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Lexington of possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue and fentanyl.

After 2 hours of deliberation following a two-day trial, the jury convicted 32-year-old Daquan Gatling of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.      

According to evidence presented at trial, on March 17, 2024, Gatling crashed into a utility pole in the Georgetown corridor area of Lexington and fled the scene of the accident. Officers searched the vehicle and found drugs, a scale, and plastic baggies in a backpack in the backseat. The evidence in the case connected him to the collision and the drugs found inside the vehicle, which were tested and found to contain more than 100 grams of a mixture of a fentanyl analogue and more than 40 grams of fentanyl. At the time of the offense, Gatling was on federal supervised release following a conviction in the Eastern District of Kentucky for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Colin Jackson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the conviction.

The investigation was conducted by HSI and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Winslow and Joel King are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Gatling is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison.  However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.

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