A federal judge sentenced a man to over 12 years in prison for running a fentanyl trafficking across in the Twin Cities.
According to US Attorney Daniel N. Rosen, Denzel Christopher Meeks, 33, was sentenced to 148 months in prison for his role in the cocaine enterprise. Meeks was recognized as a wholesale narcotics trafficker during a 2023 investigation.
Officers claim they observed Meeks using various sites to stash fentanyl, drug money, and guns in the fall of 2023. He accessed two apartments and a storage facility in the Twin Cities and Minnesota.
Law enforcement carried out search warrants on October 18, 2023. Officers halted Meeks’ car and discovered a loaded Glock 29 pistol with an extended magazine stashed in a compartment, along with approximately 25 grams of fentanyl on his body.
Federal officials said searches of Meeks’ storage facilities yielded considerable evidence. Officers discovered over 500 grams of fentanyl, two Glock pistols with “switch” devices that converted them into fully automatic machineguns with extended magazines, and more than $32,000 in cash in a Minneapolis storage facility.
In a Minneapolis apartment, authorities recovered approximately 4,500 fentanyl tablets weighing approximately 370 grams, as well as narcotics packaging tools and digital scales. Officers also discovered more than $48,000 in cash inside an apartment in St. Louis Park.
Meeks admitted to possessing 1,200 to 4,000 grams of fentanyl with the purpose to distribute it. He also claimed to having multiple guns to support his narcotics activity.
In prosecution filings, prosecutors claimed Meeks managed a large-scale scheme. The officials found over $80,000 in cash at places under his control, indicating the scale and profitability of his narcotics trafficking business.Fentanyl continues to kill people in Minnesota, and those who choose to traffic this fatal substance while equipped with illicit firearms will face consequences,” Rosen said. “This sentence is necessary to protect the public and to send a clear message that fentanyl trafficking will not be tolerated.”
Dustin Gillespie, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Omaha Field Division, stated that Meeks endangered community people. “Fentanyl is lethal in extremely small amounts and each dose removed by law enforcement, without a doubt, saved lives,” Gillespie stated. “Meeks peddled poison in our communities and for that, he now faces several years in a federal prison with no opportunity at parole.”
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna S. Witt stated that the West Metro Drug Task Force played an important part in the case. The task force identified Meeks as a suspected narcotics trafficker and issued search warrants, resulting in the seizures.
On November 3, 2025, Meeks pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
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