A Duluth woman has been indicted on charges of illegal possession of a firearm and drug trafficking. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
Court documents reveal that Khadijah Denise Preston, 30, was found in possession of a Smith & Wesson model M&P Shield M2.0 handgun on December 8, 2023. Additionally, on October 9, 2024, Preston was found with fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
Preston's prior felony conviction in Hennepin County for second-degree assault prohibits her under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The indictment against Preston includes one count of illegal possession of a firearm and two counts related to the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. She appeared today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois.
The case is the result of efforts by the Duluth Police Department, the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter is leading the prosecution.
"An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."