Devin Joseph Stukes-McFarland, 27, from Virginia Beach, was involved in distributing fentanyl by using an online service to sell the drug, pretending it was real Percocet.
Between September 2021 and March 2023, he received about 70 packages through the mail, 15 of which contained fentanyl pills, Xanax, and ketamine.
These packages came from Brian Malik Williams, 27, from Modesto, California, who used the name Matty Ruger when dealing with Stukes-McFarland. Payments for the drugs were made through Cash App, Apple Pay, and other methods.
In early 2023, authorities began investigating. On February 9, Virginia Beach Police and the DEA made a controlled buy of 600 fentanyl pills from Stukes-McFarland at his address. Later, on March 2, they made another controlled buy of 400 fentanyl pills.
On March 24, 2023, a U.S. Postal Inspector delivered a package to Stukes-McFarland’s home. Authorities then raided the residence, recovering over 4,000 fentanyl pills, along with Xanax and other drugs.
Stukes-McFarland was arrested and pled guilty to drug distribution charges in November 2023. Williams, who had been sending the drugs, pled guilty in March 2023 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Stukes-McFarland faces sentencing in the future.