Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-Indianapolis, and U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana announced on Feb. 8 that a federal jury has found Rick Coley, 36, of Indianapolis, and David Duggar, 40, of Greenwood, Indiana, guilty on all counts following an eight-day trial.
Coley was convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment for a felony. Duggar was convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“These convictions further demonstrate the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to systematically target, investigate, and prosecute those responsible for pumping the most dangerous drugs into our communities,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I commend the work of all agencies involved in dismantling this operation to hold criminals accountable when they seek to exploit substance use disorder with no regard for those who are harmed or killed.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, between January and July 2021, Rick Coley and David Duggar, among other co-conspirators, distributed large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Indianapolis for the ringleader of the operation, Jason Betts. The methamphetamine and fentanyl had been transported to Indianapolis from a source in California.
In July 2021, federal agents and officers from various law enforcement agencies executed a large-scale takedown operation that led to the arrest of 17 individuals, with two individuals being fugitives. During the investigation, approximately 35 firearms, $70,000 in currency, 1.75 kilograms of fentanyl, 14 pounds of methamphetamine, six ounces of cocaine and 30 pounds of marijuana were seized.
The other 18 defendants have been charged and pled guilty. 10 of the total 20 defendants are awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys, Bradley A. Blackington and Kelsey L. Massa, who prosecuted this case. U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon presided over the trial.
Coley and Duggar will be sentenced at a later date. Both face up to life in federal prison. Actual sentences are determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
