Minnesota Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ismael Y. Toovi, 22, of South Cambridge, Minnesota, was sentenced today to 10 years for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Following his release from prison, Toovi will serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

On June 18, 2021, Toovi was a passenger in an SUV, driven by his co-defendant Payton Sausen, which sideswiped a semi-trailer truck on eastbound I-80 in Lancaster County.  Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department deputies suspected Sausen was under the influence of a controlled substance after her breath test was negative for alcohol.  She denied consent to search but agreed to let a K9 do a sniff.  The dog indicated on the SUV which was then searched.  Officers found a cardboard box in the backseat area containing a total of more than 4,600 small blue pills with markings consistent with those for oxycodone.  Additional pills were found scattered around inside the SUV. Testing at the Nebraska Public Service Laboratory showed the pills contained fentanyl and weighed a total of 480 grams (approximately 17 ounces).  Text messages found in Toovi’s cell phone and calls made by Toovi and Sausen from the Lancaster County Jail indicated Toovi and Sausen traveled to California to pick up the pills which Toovi intended to sell in Minnesota.

Sausen pleaded guilty to the same charge in April and is scheduled for sentencing on July 15, 2022.

This case was investigated by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.