Two Louisville Men Sentenced to 32 Years and 11 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution, Drug Conspiracy, and Firearms Offenses
Louisville, KY – Two local men, Khalid A. Raheem, II, age 26, and Frank Trammell, Jr., age 30, were sentenced this week on drug and firearms charges following a seven-day jury trial in October 2022.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
On February 28, 2023, Raheem was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 11 years in prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, for distribution of fentanyl, and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. During the sentencing hearing, the court heard testimony concerning witness intimidation and applied an enhancement to Raheem’s sentence for obstruction of justice.
On March 1, 2023, Trammell was sentenced to 32 years and 3 months years in prison, followed by an 8-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, for distribution of fentanyl, for possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between December 7, 2017, and July 15, 2020, Trammell and Raheem conspired to distribute fentanyl and heroin in the Louisville area. Additionally, on ten occasions, Trammell, often assisted by Raheem or others, sold fentanyl to undercover informants at various locations in eastern and southern Jefferson County as well as in the downtown area. These fentanyl sales took place in parking lots of restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores, and always involved two vehicles parking window to window while fentanyl and cash were tossed from vehicle to vehicle.
Pursuant to court authorized wiretaps, over 3,000 drug related phone calls and text messages were intercepted in a thirty-day period. During these intercepted calls, dozens of drug transactions on a nearly daily basis were arranged. Drug addicted customers, when unable to come up with cash, would sometimes trade packages of socks and underwear, firearms, or assorted prescription medications in exchange for what they believed to be heroin. However, DEA laboratory testing established that Trammell was almost always selling fentanyl to those seeking heroin. During one intercepted call, a drug user called Trammell and said that she believed he had sold her fentanyl and that he should warn his other customers to “be careful.”
Evidence presented at trial also included the results of several search warrants of premises and vehicles simultaneously executed on July 15, 2020. From locations related to Trammell and Raheem, law enforcement seized over 240 grams of fentanyl, $284,000 in cash, assorted ammunition, and eleven firearms, including at least one assault rifle and one stolen handgun.
“The sentences imposed by the Court send a robust message to those who brazenly place the lives of Louisville area residents at risk by peddling poison,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Individuals engaged in the drug trade should consider the consequences of their actions. Simply put, a federal prison cell is not the place to spend a significant portion of your adult life.”
“Raheem and Trammell, Jr. showed zero regard for human life by deceiving and profiting off of those grappling with addiction. Faced with decades in federal prison, they will no longer contribute to the opioid epidemic terrorizing many of our neighborhoods,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Cohen. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue our collaborative efforts to identify and dismantle violent gangs found to be dealing in the deadly drug trade.”
“Drug dealers with guns are criminals who pose an increased threat to the safety of our communities,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Maynard. “This investigation is another great example of the collaborative work by law enforcement to hold drug traffickers accountable for the crimes they engage in and the destruction they bring to our families and communities.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the ATF, and the Louisville Metro Police Department, with assistance from the DEA, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Matthews Police Department, the Jeffersontown Police Department, the Shepherdsville Police Department, the Kentucky State Police, and the Indiana State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin McKenzie and Frank E. Dahl, III prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
