Dustin Noonan Sentenced for Role in Multistate Drug Trafficking Organization

From the United States Attorney’s Office:

A federal District Court judge sentenced an Anchorage man to 21 years imprisonment followed by six years of supervised release on March 22, 2023, for his role in a drug trafficking organization that spanned multiple states.

According to court documents, Dustin Noonan pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for his role in a lucrative drug trafficking and distribution organization that stretched from Alaska to Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. From March 2018 through October 2020, the leaders of the organization regularly mailed large amounts of drugs to distributors throughout the country, including mailing parcels to Noonan in Anchorage, and deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars of drug proceeds into various bank accounts. During the nearly three-year investigation, law enforcement officers recovered about six kilograms of heroin, four kilograms of methamphetamine, and four kilograms of fentanyl. Over several months in 2020, investigators intercepted five drug parcels intended for Noonan, which together contained one kilogram of fentanyl and nearly 800 grams of heroin that Noonan planned to distribute throughout Alaska. The kilogram of fentanyl that Noonan intended to distribute was enough to kill 500,000 people.

Anchorage Police arrested Noonan on June 12, 2020, after they responded to a call of a domestic disturbance. As detailed in court documents, Noonan barricaded himself inside his residence and refused officer commands to come outside. He then crawled out of a window, fled on foot, and struggled with the arresting officers. Inside his vehicle, officers found a Springfield Arms XD .45 caliber semiautomatic firearm in the center console. Noonan, who had been convicted of robbing a series of pharmacies at knifepoint in and around St. Petersburg, Florida in 2006, was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Noonan was indicted in April 2021 along with 9 other members of the conspiracy located in Anchorage, San Diego, and Tucson, Arizona. Tyler Landroche was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment on February 23, 2023. Kimberly Renee Mackey was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment on February 22, 2023. Jessica Twigg was sentenced to time served on May 16, 2022. Rene Pompa-Villa, Carlos Camacho, Christopher Pompa-Villa, Kyle Redpath, and Heydimar Marrero are awaiting sentencing. Victor Pompa-Villa remains at large.

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“Preventing the influx of deadly fentanyl and heroin is integral to protecting this community,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker. “We will continue to aggressively target drug trafficking organizations to disrupt the flow of these dangerous drugs into Alaska.”

“The shipment of illegal narcotics has no place in the U.S. Postal Service and the State of Alaska. This should serve as a reminder of the Inspection Service’s continuous efforts to bring large scale dealers like Noonan to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti. “Through the efforts of the law enforcement agencies involved, this sentencing will have a clear and lasting impact on the communities of Alaska. We thank our state, local and federal partners for their support and efforts in this investigation.”

“The severe sentence handed down underscores the dangerousness of fentanyl and reaffirms the DEA’s commitment to tirelessly investigate and prosecute those who would traffic this poison in our communities,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.

“Learning the metric system should be a result of a good education, not because of drug trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Keeping the kilogram of fentanyl and additional heroin Mr. Noonan intended to distribute off of our streets is a win, but fighting the opioid crisis takes constant vigilance from all of us. IRS:CI will continue to work with our partners in the community and in law enforcement to help keep our communities safe.”

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); U.S. Department of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Alaska State Troopers, and the Anchorage Police Department investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals had a significant role in making the arrests, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Tucson and San Diego played a critical role in the indictment of this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Schroeder and Karen Vandergaw prosecuted the case.

This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Beware of pills bought on the street: One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is a highly potent opiate that can be diluted with cutting agents to create counterfeit pills that purport to mimic the effects of Oxycodone, Percocet, and other drugs, but can be obtained at a lower cost. However, very small variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl create huge effects on the potency of the counterfeit pills and can easily cause death. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills are usually shaped and colored to resemble pills that are sold legitimately at pharmacies. For example, the counterfeit pills involved in this case, known as M30s, mimic Oxycodone, but when sold on the street they routinely contain fentanyl. These tablets are round and often light blue in color, though they may be made in many colors, and have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill.