Five-Time Felon Sentenced to Prison for Role in Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy
LAS VEGAS – A five-time convicted felon was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 10 years in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his role in a conspiracy with his brother to sell large amounts of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Robert Dillon (46) agreed with his brother Melvin Dillon and others to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. In May 2019, Dillon possessed a .380 caliber pistol during a drug sale.
Robert Dillon pleaded guilty in July 2022 to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Melvin Dillon (49), a nine-time convicted felon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and was sentenced to 128 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada, Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Las Vegas District Office made the announcement.
The ATF and DEA Las Vegas District Office investigated the case.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, or the amount that could fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially lethal dose. In 2021, a record number of Americans – 107,622 – died from a drug poisoning or overdose. Sixty-six percent of those deaths can be attributed to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
