Devin Melvin, a 33-year-old from Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced on April 23 to 270 months in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Melvin led a group that distributed fentanyl pills throughout Michigan City over a ten-month period from October 2023 to July 2024. Authorities said Melvin transported tens of thousands of pills from Detroit for further distribution, and law enforcement seized about 10,000 pills during their investigation.
Other members of the organization—Clinton Rouse, Tyler Wood, Justin Hervey, and Raquan Perry—were previously sentenced after pleading guilty to various drug and firearm offenses. Sentences ranged from more than six years for Perry up to nearly sixteen years for Wood.
“Devin Melvin and his accomplices trafficked one of the most harmful drugs into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Mildred. “Twenty-two and a half years in federal prison is the price he has chosen to pay for profiting from his illegal drug enterprise. Let this message be clear to those who seek to distribute this poison into the Northern District of Indiana: our law enforcement team will work tirelessly to find you and stop you. We are safer with this crew behind bars, thanks to the partnership of the DEA and their North Central Laboratory, ATF, the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, Michigan City Police Department, the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, and the LaPorte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan and his office,” Mildred said.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke said: “Illicit fentanyl remains the primary cause of overdose deaths and poisonings in the United States, to include northern Indiana… The Drug Enforcement Administration celebrates the collaborative effort among law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels in bringing Mr. Melvin to justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon stated: “This case is another example of…the effectiveness of the Homeland Security Task Force as an important tool in combatting drug trafficking… Today’s sentence sends a strong message but our work is not done.”
“This case reflects what is possible when agencies commit to a unified intelligence-driven approach,” said Michigan City Chief Steven Forker.
The prosecution was part of both Project Safe Neighborhoods—a program aimed at reducing violent crime—and Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiatives targeting criminal organizations.
