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ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Dustin Thompson, 36, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell for his involvement in the trafficking of fentanyl and illegal possession of firearms. Thompson was sentenced to 270 months (22 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Thompson was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. On October 4, 2021, Thompson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

On March 12, 2018, Thompson distributed a controlled substance to an individual in Alexandria and represented to him that the substance was heroin, when in truth and in fact, it was fentanyl. After consuming what he thought to be heroin, the individual became unconscious and crashed his vehicle into the Alexandria, Louisiana Police Department.

Law enforcement officers administered NARCAN, a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, in order to revive the victim and he was taken to a local hospital where a NARCAN drip was given to him for an extended period of time. Law enforcement officers later searched Thompson’s residence and found three loaded firearms, 54 grams of fentanyl, and a large sum of cash.

“In this case, a large amount of fentanyl was recovered.  However, let it be known that the Western District of Louisiana’s United States Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute all illegal fentanyl trafficking cases regardless of the quantity involved and we will seek stiff sentences of imprisonment.  This has become an epidemic throughout the southern part of the country and this district is no exception. These law enforcement officers are to be commended for their swift, heady action resulting in this victim’s life being spared.”

This case was investigated by the FBI, ATF and Alexandria Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Reeg and J. Aaron Crawford.