Omaha Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

United States Attorney Jan W. Sharp announced that Ja'hvont Payne, 27, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute ten grams or more of an analogue of fentanyl.  Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Payne to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.  After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release.

On March 1, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on an apartment at 25th and Cumming Streets in Omaha after law enforcement was notified of a female who overdosed. Payne was staying with the co-defendant, Robert Rush.  Law enforcement located 1,029 pills in nine different bags in the bedroom where they were staying.  The pills tested positive for fentanyl.  The pills were more than 110 grams of fentanyl.  The female died from the overdose, and the autopsy confirmed it was the result of fentanyl.  The United States alleges that Rush sold her the pill that caused her overdose. 

Robert Rush is currently scheduled for trial in March, 2022.

This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.