Two Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl

Pensacola, Florida - Adrian Dion Pettaway Jr., 25, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl, and Gindy Nicole Lacey, 49, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine, tramadol, and fentanyl. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "These two cases underscore the excellent investigative work performed by our state and federal law enforcement partners to identify and root out the networks of criminals responsible for flooding our streets with deadly drugs, like meth and fentanyl. The citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve to live in safe, drug-free communities, and that is exactly what my office will deliver with continued aggressive prosecutions of the drug peddling criminals who have terrorized our streets for far too long."

Court records in the separately indicted cases reflect that in November 2024, Lacey sold tramadol pills and methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer. In December 2024, Lacey sold 1,000 pills containing fentanyl during an undercover operation. Further investigation revealed that Pettaway had supplied Lacey with the fentanyl pills sold during the undercover operation. Lacey was previously convicted of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

The case involved a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.