Kalamazoo Man Indicted For Distribution Of Fentanyl Resulting In Death

          GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a federal grand jury in Grand Rapids returned a superseding indictment charging a Kalamazoo man with distributing fentanyl resulting in death. The indictment is attached.

          “Fentanyl has tragically claimed too many lives and become a deadly menace throughout the Western District of Michigan,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “Kalamazoo in particular has recently witnessed an unprecedented number of fentanyl-related tragedies. My office remains committed to prosecuting dealers whose sales of this dangerous drug ultimately kill members of our community.”

          In the superseding indictment, the grand jury alleges that on November 23, 2022, Antjuan Pierre Jackson, 38, of Kalamazoo, distributed fentanyl that resulted in the death of a victim. The superseding indictment separately charges that, three weeks later, on December 15, 2022, Jackson possessed 40 grams or more of fentanyl and intended to distribute it. According to DEA, two milligrams of fentanyl can be a deadly dose of the drug.

          “The Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team will continue to seek the highest charges while investigating individuals, or groups of individuals, selling illicit and sometimes deadly narcotics on our streets,” said Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team Captain Michael Ferguson. “We appreciate our partnership with the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We certainly hope that this indictment will deter future decisions in continuing this criminal activity.”

          Jackson is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He will be arraigned on the superseding indictment before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. If convicted of the charge of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, Jackson faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison with a maximum penalty up to life. The presiding judge, U.S. District
Judge Jane M. Beckering, will determine Jackson’s ultimate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

          The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie M. Carowan.

          An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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