Department of Justice

INDIANAPOLIS – Kevin Noel, 40, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on January 29, 2021, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers went to Noel’s residence on North King Avenue, in Indianapolis, to assist Marion County Community Corrections with a check to ensure Noel was complying with the conditions of his home detention. The officers encountered common tools used by drug traffickers and evidence of recent illegal drug use during the compliance check and obtained a warrant to search Noel’s residence and truck.

The officers executed the search warrant and seized evidence of drug trafficking and illegal guns including approximately 226 counterfeit pills containing Fentanyl (totaling 24 grams), approximately 460 grams of heroin or cocaine mixed with Fentanyl powder, approximately 75 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 27 grams of powder cocaine, approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine, three semi-automatic handguns, and over $24,000 in cash drug proceeds. Noel admitted that he possessed the illegal drugs with the intent to distribute them and illegally possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug dealing.

Officers seized approximately 692 grams of Fentanyl or substances mixed with Fentanyl during the search. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.

Noel has four prior felony convictions in state court related to possession of and dealing drugs. Noel is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law due to these felonies.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division; and Randal Taylor, Police Chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department; made the announcement.

DEA investigated the case in conjunction with ATF and IMPD. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Stinson ordered that Noel be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for four years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath who prosecuted this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.