A St. Paul man has been found guilty by a federal jury for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and for illegal possession of a firearm, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
The trial presented evidence that on April 19, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota. The apartment was rented by Eric Marcel Turner, also known as Xavier Thomas, using an alias. Officers discovered over 300 grams of fentanyl and a loaded firearm during the search.
Turner has multiple prior felony convictions, including a federal drug trafficking offense for which he served several years in federal prison. Due to these convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
After a three-day trial before Judge Katherine M. Menendez in U.S. District Court, Turner was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The case was investigated by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the West Metro Drug Task Force, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and Allen A. Slaughter were responsible for prosecuting the case.