Pierre Burnett III, 27, of Indianapolis, was given ten years in federal prison after admitting that he had cocaine with the plan to sell it.
Records from the court show that on July 22, 2021, officers from the Metro Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) were watching a known drug house in Indianapolis.
Burnett left the house around 3:45 p.m. with a black trash bag full of rectangular, brick-like things and drove off in a red Dodge Ram.
Around 4:03 p.m., an Indiana State Police officer tried to pull Burnett over for speeding. Burnett ran away very quickly. After a short drive northbound on River Road in Indianapolis, Burnett almost hit several cars as he sped through intersections, so the Trooper stopped chasing him.
Burnett drove to the Indianapolis River Ridge Apartments and threw a black trash bag and an orange backpack into some trees nearby. Later, police checked the bags and found about six kilograms of cocaine and $71,500 in cash that had been banded together.
DEA agents and Indiana State Police troopers used a K9 officer to find Burnett and put him in jail. The police found $2,000 in folded cash and three grams of fentanyl in a baggie on him. Police also took the red Dodge Ram and searched it. In the driver’s side door, they found a loaded.45 caliber weapon.
The armed drug dealer was given a federal prison sentence that shows people who traffic deadly drugs without caring about people will face real consequences, said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our federal prosecutors are determined to work together with the DEA, Metro Drug Task Force, and Indiana State Police to catch drug dealers and get these poisons off the streets, where they can hurt our communities and loved ones.”
The Indiana State Police will continue to work with and provide the necessary resources to their federal, county, and local law enforcement partners to not only keep these dangerous and potentially deadly drugs out of our communities but also to catch the people who bring them in illegally, said Captain Ron Galaviz.
“The DEA is still dedicated to working with our state and local partners to better protect the places where we live.” “People like Mr. Burnett who bring multiple kilograms of cocaine into our communities need to be held responsible for what they do,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge J. Michael Gannon.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Metro Drug Task Force, and the Indiana State Police all worked together on this case, which was very important to its success. The sentence was given by Judge Matthew P. Brookman of the U.S. District Court. Judge Brookman also told the U.S. Probation Office to keep an eye on Burnett for five years after he got out of federal jail.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who led the prosecution of this case, was thanked by U.S. Attorney Myers.
Indiana Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison
