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Press Release

Downriver Man Sentenced to 20 years for Distributing Deadly Narcotics

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan

DETROIT – After a joint investigation between local and federal law enforcement, Scott Sams, 54, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. United States District Court Judge Laurie J. Michelson sentenced the defendant after he pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine that killed two victims.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.

Scott Sams, of Southgate, Michigan, was identified by law enforcement as a methamphetamine distributor in the Downriver area. Investigators discovered that Sams often convinced his customers to “party” with him, concocting “hot shots” of methamphetamine and Alka-Seltzer tablets to purposely increase their high.

In May 2021, Sams met one of the victims at a hotel room in Allen Park. There, he gave her a fatal amount of methamphetamine and fled the hotel room as she overdosed and died.

Despite this victim’s death, Sams continued to distribute methamphetamine. Just weeks later, Sams delivered a second fatal dose of methamphetamine to a male victim in Farmington Hills.

U.S. Attorney Ison said. “My office will use every resource available to combat drug dealers who push controlled substances into our communities with indifference to the tragedy it inflicts. We will not hesitate to seek stiff penalties to keep this community safe.”

“We are hopeful this sentencing brings a sense of justice to the victims’ families, whose loved ones were recklessly endangered by the defendant,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their support throughout this investigation, particularly the Southeast Michigan Region Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force.”

The case was investigated by federal agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret Smith and Caitlin Casey prosecuted the case for the United States.   The FBI Detroit Field Office asks that anyone who believes they may have been victim of the type of crime as committed by this defendant contact 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit tips online to http://tips.fbi.gov

Updated September 27, 2023

Topic
Drug Trafficking