MINNESOTA — A man has been sentenced in connection with one of the largest fentanyl busts in Minnesota history, according to court documents.
Quijuan Bankhead has received a sentence of 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. He was one of eight individuals who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Another key figure in the operation, Cornell Chandler Jr., was sentenced to 13 years in 2024 for his involvement.
Authorities say that from August 2022 to December 2023, the trafficking group transported fentanyl from Phoenix to Minnesota. Pills were hidden inside stuffed animals and shipped to various addresses around the Twin Cities area.
A joint investigation by law enforcement in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties led to the seizure of more than 30,000 grams of fentanyl — roughly 280,000 pills — with an estimated street value of over $2 million.
Preliminary data from the Minnesota Department of Health reveals that in 2023 alone, more than 1,200 people died from drug overdoses in the state, with around 70% involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
