Mario Ambrosio Lewis Sentenced to Serve 20 Years In Prison For Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting In Death

Greeneville, Tenn. – Mario Ambrosio Lewis, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on June 25, 2019, by the Honorable Leon Jordan, Senior U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 20 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

Lewis pleaded guilty in March of 2019 to distributing fentanyl to Calvin Richard Campbell. Campbell admitted to a Bristol PD Detective and an agent of the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force that he had provided the substance, which contained fentanyl, to the victim. Campbell identified Lewis as his heroin supplier and the source of the fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a Bristol woman on April 23, 2017, due to acute fentanyl toxicity.

Agents of the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force, Bristol Tennessee Detectives and the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office began an undercover and financial investigation into Lewis and his drug trafficking and were joined by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over the course of the investigation. Campbell pleaded guilty in Sullivan County Criminal Court to 2^nd degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

            United States Attorney J. Douglas Overbey commended investigators on their dedication and tenacity. U.S. Attorney Overbey also noted that, unfortunately law enforcement agencies are facing more and more cases where drug dealers are mixing fentanyl with other illegal drugs to increase profits. This business decision by drug dealers sometimes has deadly consequences. Often users and lower level dealers are not aware that the drugs contain fentanyl.

Since this death occurred, the Drug Overdose Death Task Force has been formed in Sullivan County. The task force is headed by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and funded by grants from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Initiative. HIDTA provides federal funds to state and local law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle drug organizations. The District Attorney’s Office and all other law enforcement in Sullivan County have partnered with TBI under this initiative to aggressively identify and target those who place profit above the value of human life. U.S. Attorney Overbey has pledged the continued support of his office and our federal partners in this effort.

            Agencies involved in this investigation included the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force, Bristol Tennessee Police Department, the Second Judicial District Attorney Office, ATF and DEA.     B. Todd Martin and Robert Reeves, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, represented the United States.