A Duluth man, Johnathan Eric Thompson, also known as "Remy," has been sentenced to 210 months in prison with an additional five years of supervised release for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

Court documents reveal that Thompson, aged 34, conspired with others to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He frequently traveled to Chicago to procure these drugs for distribution in the Duluth area. Notably, on October 27, 2023, he sold 1,830 grams of methamphetamine and on November 16, 2023, another sale involved 2,280 grams.

Authorities executed a search warrant at an apartment used by Thompson and his associates for storing and packaging the drugs. During this operation, law enforcement discovered 858 grams of methamphetamine and 568 grams of fentanyl. Thompson's arrest occurred on November 30, 2023; at that time he was found with 268 grams of fentanyl and 100 counterfeit fentanyl pills. Estimates suggest that between October and November of the same year, Thompson possessed approximately 7,321 grams of methamphetamine and 863 grams of fentanyl.

Thompson's sentencing took place in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. In delivering the sentence, Judge Tostrud remarked on the negative impact Thompson had on Duluth's community stating that his actions “fed existing addictions and destroyed lives and families.”

The investigation leading to this case was conducted by several agencies including the Duluth Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter led the prosecution in this case.