Arizona to Minnesota Drug Smuggling Operation Busted After Six Charged for Allegedly Concealing Fentanyl in Stuffed Animals

(KNSI) — Six people have been charged after authorities say they conspired to ship mass quantities of fentanyl from Arizona to Minnesota using stuffed animals to conceal it.

According to court documents, between August and December 2022, 24-year-old Cornell Montez Chandler, Jr., 23-year-old Robiel Lee Williams, 30-year-old Quijuan Hosea Bankhead, 24-year-old Stardasha Christina Davenport-Mounger, 26-year-old Fo’Tre Devine White, and 24-year-old Shardai Rayshell Allen are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. White is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm as a felon and one count of possession of a machine gun.

Prosecutors say several of them went to Phoenix and bought the pills from suppliers, hid it inside the toys and mailed them to addresses in and around the Twin Cities. Police in three counties were made aware of the trafficking operation and launched a joint investigation, which resulted in the seizure of six packages containing over 30 kilograms of fentanyl pills. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.

Federal drug-related offenses carry a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison. That could be increased if there is a death resulting from the ingestion of the substance or if the offender has a previous criminal record.

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