Alleged Minneapolis gang member sentenced for role in fentanyl trafficking operation
An alleged Minneapolis gang member will spend over 12 years in prison for his role in what officials have called "an extensive fentanyl trafficking operation."
Federal court documents filed on Friday show Leneal Frazier was sentenced to 150 months — or 12-and-a-half years — in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for aiding and abetting kidnapping in furtherance of racketeering.
Frazier, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota, was one of 14 members and associates of the Minneapolis Highs gang charged in the operation.
Officials say the operation ran from the summer of 2020 to the spring of 2023. The 14 people charged in November 2023 were accused of moving fentanyl pills back and forth between Minnesota and Arizona with the intent to sell them.
At least seven of the people charged have since pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and have not been sentenced.
Over 25 pounds of fentanyl, at least 36 guns and more than $218,000 were seized during the investigation, federal officials said.
Several agencies cooperated in the crackdown, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and others.
Note: The above video first aired on Nov. 15, 2023.
