FRANKFORT, KY (Thursday, May 8, 2025) – A Lexington man, Drequahn Smith, 19, was sentenced on Tuesday to 128 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On June 24, 2024, law enforcement officers with the FBI and the Lexington Police Department were conducting surveillance on an individual wanted on an arrest warrant. Drequahn Smith was observed with the wanted individual, and fled when the law enforcement officers approached. During the foot pursuit, Smith attempted to throw away a handgun he was carrying before he was apprehended. In a subsequent search of Smith’s backpack and a residence associated with Smith, law enforcement officers recovered 413 grams of pressed fentanyl pills. Smith admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the fentanyl with intent to distribute it, and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime.
Under federal law, Smith must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by FBI and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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