DULUTH, Minn. – A drug trafficking ring based in Chicago has been indicted for their alleged involvement in a scheme to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Duluth area. According to the Department of Justice, between December 2021 and February 2024, seven individuals from Chicago—Carl Maurice Brown, Robert Desean Chism, Anthony Lenard Green, Arreal Dominique Timberlake, Deandre Michael Westmoreland, Pharoo Nasun Witherspoon, and Ezell Cordero Lucas—collaborated to distribute the drugs in Duluth and the Twin Ports region. Additionally, one individual from Duluth, Matthew James Erickson, was reportedly part of the group.
All eight individuals are facing charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Authorities believe that Lucas played a key role as the leader of the group, organizing the sales and directing the other members to conduct transactions. During the course of their investigation, law enforcement officials allegedly seized significant quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine from various members of the group, according to a Department of Justice press release.