DETROIT – A Washington man will spend 12 and a half years in federal prison for his role in transporting nearly 200 pounds of methamphetamine and other controlled substances into Michigan, officials announced.
Antonio D.J. Mitchell, 39, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced to 150 months in prison.
Authorities learned about Mitchell’s connection to this drug conspiracy case when they were investigating Keith Haskins, 47, of San Bernardino County, California.
Background on the drug smuggling operation
They discovered that Haskins was mailing kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine from California to his associate in Detroit, who was identified as Kennie Smith, 46, of Clinton Township, according to a release from the United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Michigan.
Federal agents intercepted several of the mailed drugs, which were sent in plastic buckets from a hardware store.
Once the drugs arrived in Detroit, Smith managed the distribution of them.
Mitchell’s role in the drug smuggling scheme
Haskins eventually recruited Mitchell to assist with the operation. Mitchell helped transport the drugs and the drug proceeds between the southwestern U.S. and Michigan.
Haskins and Mitchell later moved to Detroit to expand the drug operation and rented an apartment in the downtown area and a storage unit.
When federal agents searched these units in November 2021, they found the following:
- More than 87 kilograms of methamphetamine
- Three kilograms of fentanyl
- One kilogram of cocaine
- Seven firearms
- Hundreds of rounds of ammunition, including a drum-style magazine
4 charged for role in distributing drugs in Detroit
Four people have been charged in connection to this operation.
Haskins, Smith and Mitchell each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, and possessing or attempting to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Mitchell was sentenced to 150 months in prison. Haskins received 18 months in prison and Smith was sentenced to 125 months. Both Haskins and Smith had been previously sentenced.
A fourth person involved in the scheme, Chalisa Sawyer, is awaiting trial, which is set for Jan. 28, 2025.
“We will tirelessly pursue and prosecute drug dealers who continue to inflict harm on our communities with dangerous drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl, whether near or far,” Ison said. “The sentences imposed in this case, should underscore that goal. I commend our law enforcement partners at DEA and USPIS whose hard work helped achieve these significant results.”
