Armed Indianapolis Drug Dealer Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking 3 Kilograms of Fentanyl and Other Controlled Substances

INDIANAPOLIS- Frank Nelson, 45, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents, on August 24, 2021, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials executed a search warrant at Frank Nelson’s Indianapolis residence for financial documents in connection to an ongoing drug trafficking and money laundering investigation. Nelson was taken into custody upon opening the door for investigators.

During a search of Nelson’s home, officers located a black Puma backpack in the laundry room that contained several clear plastic bags of white powder and brown chunky substances. Shortly after this discovery, law enforcement officers obtained a second search warrant for the same residence to search for narcotics and other instrumentalities. The Puma backpack was searched and found to contain approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.6 kilograms of cocaine, and half a kilogram of heroin. According to the DEA, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.

In searching Nelson’s master bedroom, agents located a 9mm semiautomatic pistol in a nightstand and a semiautomatic rifle under the bed. Agents also located $90,310 in United States currency. Inside Nelson’s bedroom closet, agents located a black Nike duffle bag containing 16 taped, brick-shaped objects (approximately 1 kilogram each) filled with cocaine. 

In his guilty plea, Nelson admitted that the seized substances contained fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and that he possessed the drugs with the intent to sell them.

At the time of his arrest, Nelson was on bond after being charged in 2020 with dealing cocaine in Hendricks County, Indiana.

“We may never know exactly how many lives this defendant is responsible for ruining to satisfy his greed,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Substance abuse disorders take lives and devastate families in all zip codes and of all walks of life. We are grateful to our partners at the DEA and IMPD for investigating this case and taking many kilograms of dangerous drugs off of our streets.”

“The sentence imposed on Mr. Nelson was justified,” said Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge. “Despite being out on bond for a drug offense, Mr. Nelson continued to distribute kilogram quantities of lethal fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine while possessing firearms to facilitate his drug trafficking activities. The DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local, and federal partners in order to keep our communities safe. The DEA commends the outstanding work by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office.”

The DEA and IMPD Drug Task Force investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Nelson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison.

U.S Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson W. McGrath who prosecuted the case.

One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fentanyl is used because it’s cheap. Small variations in the quantity or quality of fentanyl in a fake prescription pill can accidentally create a lethal dosage. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug poisoning deaths in the United States. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies, like Percocet and Xanax. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These particular pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.