INDIANAPOLIS — A judge sentenced an Indianapolis man to five years in federal prison after police found methamphetamine in his bags at Indianapolis International Airport.
Tyler Earl Ja Waun Cabell, 25, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth after the 2021 incident. In addition to his prison sentence, Cabell will have to serve supervised probation for three years after his release and pay a $1,000 fine.
State and federal law enforcement officers were doing drug searches at the airport when they flagged Cabell's luggage. Inside one bag, there was 7 grams of marijuana. Another piece of luggage had four vacuum-sealed plastic bags with 8 pounds of pure methamphetamine, along with 10 plastic bags totaling nearly 11 pounds of marijuana.
The vacuum-sealed plastic bags were wrapped inside towels and clothing inside the luggage.
When officers questioned Cabell, he admitted to meeting someone in California who offered to pay him $7,000 to take the bag to Indianapolis.
"Drug traffickers like this defendant further the scourge of substance abuse disorder and must be held accountable. I commend the work of HSI, ISP, and the Plainfield Police Department in intercepting these illicit drugs and getting this defendant off our streets," said Zachary Myers, U.S. attorney of the Southern District of Indiana.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, while Indiana State Police and the Plainfied Police Department assisted.