INDIANAPOLIS — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
INDIANAPOLIS- Clifton Withers, 49, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on January 7, 2020, Withers was sentenced and placed on home detention and monitoring by Marion County Community Corrections following a conviction for Dealing in a Narcotic Drug. While serving his community corrections sentence, Withers rented two storage units in Indianapolis.
On May 19, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted a court-authorized search of the storage units and located a clear plastic bag containing three large discs of fentanyl, approximately 250 grams, multiple digital scales, a plastic bottle of lactose—a known drug cutting agent, a large metal press, three handgun holsters, and a black bag containing several boxes of ammunition. Officers also found nine firearms. Withers is prohibited under federal law from ever legally possessing a firearm due to his status as a convicted felon.
Additionally, officers searched Withers’ vehicle and found three plastic bags an additional 55 grams of fentanyl that he intended to distribute, a metal press with heroin residue, two more digital scales, and a second metal press inside of a backpack. Officers also recovered a 9mm handgun Withers possessed in his home, as well as an illegal firearm silencer and three books on building military-grade firearms suppressors.
All told, Withers possessed nine guns, a firearm silencer, approximately over 300 grams of fentanyl that he intended to distribute. Withers has an extensive criminal record, including four felony drug trafficking convictions dating back to 1997, and one felony conviction for promoting animal fighting.
“This defendant is a lifelong drug dealer who has failed to rehabilitate despite given numerous chances to do so. After receiving a Community Corrections sentence armed drug trafficking, he immediately returned to trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and illegally possessing a silencer and an arsenal of firearms,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Fentanyl poisoning takes lives and devastates families in all zip codes and walks of life. Traffickers pose even more danger to our communities when they are heavily armed. Thanks to the outstanding work of our partners at the ATF and our federal prosecutors, the defendant’s career of armed drug trafficking has been halted for many years to come.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Gibson and Corbin D. Houston, who prosecuted this case.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage—a tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil. Seven out of ten illegal fentanyl tablets seized from U.S. streets and analyzed by the DEA have been found to contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
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