Michael Penn, a 24-year-old resident of Tangipahoa Parish, pleaded guilty on July 24, 2025, to three counts of distributing fentanyl. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Court documents state that Penn distributed significant amounts of fentanyl pills on three separate occasions: February 2, April 4, and April 18, 2024. The net weights for these distributions were reported as 259.86 grams, 516.2 grams, and 541.2 grams respectively.
For Count One, Penn faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to forty years in prison, along with a possible fine of up to $5 million and at least four years of supervised release. For Counts Two and Three, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to life imprisonment for each count. He could also be fined up to $10 million per count and face at least five years of supervised release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation into the case. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver from the Narcotics Unit is handling the prosecution.
