A Duluth man, Johnathan Eric Thompson, also known as "Remy," has been sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
Court documents revealed that the 34-year-old conspired with others to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Thompson frequently traveled to Chicago to procure these drugs for distribution in the Duluth region. Notably, on October 27, 2023, he sold 1,830 grams of methamphetamine to one individual and on November 16, 2023, he sold another 2,280 grams.
Authorities executed a search warrant at an apartment used by Thompson and his associates for storing and packaging drugs. During this operation, law enforcement discovered 858 grams of methamphetamine and 568 grams of fentanyl. When arrested on November 30, 2023, Thompson was found with an additional 268 grams of fentanyl and 100 counterfeit fentanyl pills. Overall estimates indicate that between October and November 2023, Thompson possessed approximately 7,321 grams of methamphetamine and 863 grams of fentanyl.
Thompson's sentence was handed down by Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court based on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Judge Tostrud remarked that the severity of the sentence reflected the negative impact Thompson had on Duluth's community: “fed existing addictions and destroyed lives and families.”
The case resulted from a collaborative investigation involving several agencies: the Duluth Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter led the prosecution.