Julius Darnell Dixon, a 54-year-old resident of Phoenix, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison. United States District Judge Steven P. Logan handed down the sentence, which also includes 60 months of supervised release. Dixon was convicted for providing contraband to federal inmates and violating his supervised release from a previous bank robbery conviction.
Dixon pleaded guilty on October 21, 2024, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. His plea also acknowledged the violation of his supervised release related to an earlier bank robbery case (CR-99-00516-PHX-SPL).
The scheme involved Dixon conspiring with federal inmates between February 2023 and April 2024. He sent books containing hidden Suboxone strips from Phoenix-area bookstores to the inmates. The method was designed to bypass prison security by making it appear as if the books were purchased directly by the inmates.
Investigators identified Dixon through communications with inmates after two mailings were intercepted by prison staff. The packages were traced back to local bookstores where Dixon had provided his contact information.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick E. Chapman from the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.