An Anchorage man, Paul Baldwin Jr., was sentenced on April 17 to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearms crimes committed while he was on pretrial release in several state cases.
The sentencing underscores the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address repeat offenders involved in drug distribution and illegal firearm possession. Authorities say these actions are intended to protect communities from the dangers associated with such criminal activity.
According to court documents, Baldwin, age 35, had previously been convicted of a federal drug trafficking crime in 2013 and served seven years in prison. After his release from federal custody in 2019 and subsequent termination of supervision in December 2021, officials said he resumed drug trafficking within months. In September 2022, Anchorage Police responded to a call at a residence where they observed Baldwin moving between the home and a vehicle. When approached by officers, Baldwin fled but police later found a pistol, over 80 grams of illegal fentanyl pills, and more than $16,000 cash inside the vehicle. As a convicted felon at that time, he was prohibited from possessing firearms.
About one week later, police arrested Baldwin at an apartment where they saw him attempting to flush nearly 200 grams of heroin down the toilet. Officers also recovered another pistol along with cash and illicit drugs from his person and backpack. In March 2023, law enforcement attempted to stop Baldwin as he drove through Fairbanks; after fleeing at high speed before crashing into a snow berm, officers found additional fentanyl pills and large sums of cash linked to hotel key cards that led them to more drugs at a local hotel room.
Following his arrest on these charges—including being indicted for being a felon in possession of firearms—Baldwin failed to return from temporary release granted for attending a relative’s funeral but was apprehended two months later. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, 2026.
“Mr. Baldwin is an armed drug trafficker that has, over and over, endangered our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Dangerous repeat offenders will not be tolerated. Our law enforcement partners are working diligently every day to hold habitual offenders like Mr. Baldwin accountable and taking them off the streets.”
“Mr. Baldwin engaged in drug trafficking while illegally carrying a firearm as a convicted felon – a combination that put innocent lives at risk in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office.
The case was investigated by the FBI Anchorage Field Office Safe Streets Task Force with help from Anchorage Police Department as well as support from Alaska State Troopers’ Fairbanks Areawide Narcotics Team (FANT) and U.S Marshals Service.
