INDIANAPOLIS — The last two suspects have been convicted for their roles in an organized drug trafficking operation that was taken down in 2021.
The convictions close a major chapter of an investigation that resulted in 20 arrests and got enough fentanyl to kill 500,000 people off the streets of Indianapolis.
Rick Coley, 36, of Indianapolis, and David Duggar, 40, of Greenwood, were found guilty on all charges. Coley was convicted of four drug dealing and gun charges and Duggar was convicted of three.
The other 18 people who were arrested have all been convicted and, the FBI said, several of those people are accused of multiple murders in the city.
Court documents say in the first seven months of 2021, Coley, Dugger, and others were caught dealing large quantities of meth and fentanyl in Indianapolis for their ringleader — Jason Betts.
The drugs were brought into the city from a source in California.
In July 2021, federal agents and officers raided multiple locations across Indianapolis — arresting 17 people, two of whom were wanted fugitives, and getting an exceptionally large amount of drugs off the streets.
During the raid, the officers took down the drug ring and seized about 35 guns, 1.75 kilograms of fentanyl, 14 pounds of meth, 30 pounds of marijuana, and six ounces of cocaine, along with $70,000.
DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon noted the amount of fentanyl seized — nearly two kilograms — is enough lethal doses to kill 500,000 people.
"It was one step of many to make the city of Indianapolis a safer place for its citizens," FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said. "Collectively, we were able to effectively shut down a criminal organization responsible for much of the violence around our city."
Coley and Duggar face up to life in federal prison. They and eight others arrested in the case are awaiting sentencing.
