Cleveland Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegal Use of Firearms and Distributing a Substance Containing Fentanyl

Oxford, MS - A Cleveland, Mississippi man was sentenced on Tuesday to 117 months in prison for his role in distributing a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, Davion Hunter a/k/a "D," 38, previously pled guilty to two counts of an indictment charging that he aided and abetted the distribution of a substance containing fentanyl and that he possessed a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents and records, Hunter distributed narcotics to an FBI confidential informant, and also arranged for a third individual to sell heroin and multiple firearms to the same informant. Following that transaction, the DEA laboratory analyzed the substance sold as heroin and confirmed it contained fentanyl. On Tuesday morning, U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Hunter to almost 10 years in prison after hearing arguments and comments from Hunter, his counsel, and a prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"The prosecution of individuals who illegally possess and use guns and who distribute illicit drugs has always been a priority in the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Mississippi," remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. "These prosecutions are especially significant as we see an increase in the number of illicit controlled substances in our District that contain fentanyl and overdose deaths that result. The distribution of illegal narcotics is not a "victimless crime," and this office remains committed to working with law enforcement partners to ensure that those who participate in the distribution of illegal narcotics in our community are held accountable for the full range of their illegal acts."

FBI Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby also commented on the sentence. " The FBI remains committed to collaboratively reducing the negative impact bad actors cause to the public through the distribution of illegal narcotics, as well as the use of unauthorized firearms in the furtherance of their crimes," remarked Fomby. "The inclusion of fentanyl exponentially adds danger to the community which often ends in fatalities. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate these matters in the same manner we brought Mr. Hunter to justice."

The FBI Jackson Division's Oxford Resident Agency investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDEFT) and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Multiple agencies played critical roles in the investigation, including the Cleveland Police Department, ATF, DEA, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hale prosecuted the case.

This operation was one of many parts of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.