31-Year-Old St. Paul Man Sentenced for Minnesota Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News)- Another person has been sentenced in a Minnesota drug smuggling conspiracy involving stuffed animals. 

See Also: Minnesota Man Sentenced for Robbing Postal Service Carriers 

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota announced the sentencing on Tuesday. A federal judge sentenced the St. Paul man last week. 

Authorities busted the massive drug smuggling operation in late 2023 after becoming aware of it earlier that year. 

St. Paul Man Sentenced for Minnesota Drug Smuggling Operation Involving Fentanyl in Stuffed Animals

31-year-old Quijuan Hosea Bankhead previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy that involved trafficking fentanyl by hiding it inside of stuffed animals. 

Federal court documents say Bankhead and the other defendants in the case would travel to Phoenix, AZ to obtain the fentanyl.

They would hide the highly-addictive opioid in stuffed animals then ship the animals back to the Twin Cities area from August of 2022 through December of 2023. 

Local and federal authorities put an end to the conspiracy when they seized a shipment containing 66 pounds of fentanyl, court documents say. 

Bankhead has been sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. 

“Bankhead and his network smuggled deadly fentanyl into Minnesota and had the gall to hide this poison inside of children’s toys—stuffed animals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.  

Last year, Cornell Montez Chandler Jr. was sentenced to more than 13 years for his role in the drug trafficking operation and Da'Shawn Natori Domena pleaded guilty in the case. 

At least nine people were charged in the drug smuggling scheme.