Jarrell M. Palmer, a 44-year-old resident of Jonesboro, Louisiana, has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty handed down the sentence of 188 months in prison, which will be followed by five years of supervised release.
The case began in April 2023 when agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted a suspicious package sent from California to an address in Jonesboro. A narcotic detecting K-9 indicated the presence of drugs inside the package, leading to a search warrant being issued. Inside were several jigsaw puzzle boxes containing bags wrapped in plastic and carbon paper, holding over 5,000 pills suspected to be fake oxycodone tablets. Chemical analysis confirmed that these pills contained fentanyl and weighed approximately 552.5 grams.
Law enforcement repackaged the box and conducted a controlled delivery to the intended address in Jonesboro. Agents observed Palmer's mother retrieving the package and taking it inside their home. Sensors on the package alerted agents when it was opened, prompting them to execute a search warrant at the residence where they found Palmer outside and arrested him.
Palmer had residue on his hands from spray applied by law enforcement to the package as part of their investigation tactics. Inside his home were found marijuana, a digital scale, and the repackaged box containing fentanyl-laden jigsaw puzzle boxes.
Palmer admitted ownership of the package and confessed to selling its contents—fentanyl pills—to others. He pleaded guilty on December 12, 2023.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Metro Narcotics Unit in Monroe with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Shannon.