A Brainerd man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing fentanyl in the Brainerd Lakes area. Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick announced that Dazaughn Ellis West, 28, will serve 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute tens of thousands of fentanyl pills.
Court documents reveal that on August 1, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a storage unit belonging to West in Brainerd. Officers discovered between 13,000 and 15,000 pressed fentanyl pills weighing approximately 2.8 pounds. A subsequent search at West's home uncovered an additional 150 grams of fentanyl pills, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber rifle, and distributable quantities of cocaine.
West was sentenced on February 6, 2025, in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, Brainerd Police Department, and the Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division (LADID). Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren O. Roso prosecuted the case.