2 Chicago Residents Indicted for Importing Bulk Fentanyl Analogues from China
A pair of suburban Chicago men has been indicted in Federal court for a conspiracy to import and distribute deadly fentanyl analogues they had imported from China, The Chicago Tribune reports.
According to their indictment, Sanchez “Chez” Lackland and Jermol “Yak” Mixon face counts of fentanyl importation and distribution, as well as weapons charges. Their indictment also identifies the fentanyl analogue as methoxyacetyl fentanyl, and notes that the accused allegedly made repeated purchases of the drug from Chinese sources.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Lackland and Mixon allegedly ordered as many as 53 packages of a methoxyacetyl fentanyl mixture from China and Hong Kong.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) describe how Lackland and co-conspirators used the U.S. mail to ship packages of imported fentanyl analogues to 19 different addresses in the Chicago area. A search of Lackland’s home last December revealed quantities of methoxyacetyl fentanyl, along with acryl fentanyl, heroin, $300,000 in cash, and a loaded revolver.
ICE also describe a subsequent search of Mixon’s home, which also found quantities of methoxyacetyl fentanyl, acryl fentanyl, heroin, $10,000 in cash, and materials used to manufacture drugs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Erskine, Northern District of Illinois, is prosecuting this case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim is hearing the case.