Duluth Fentanyl Ring Leader Sentenced To 174 Months In Federal Prison

DULUTH, MN — A Chicago man identified by federal prosecutors as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that sent fentanyl and methamphetamine to Duluth has been sentenced to 174 months in prison.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota said Friday that Ezell “Cash” Lucas, 34, was sentenced this week by U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud and was the last of seven defendants convicted in the conspiracy case to be sentenced.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Lucas managed the Chicago-based operation from December 2021 to February 2024 and worked with local distributors in Duluth to build a customer base in the Twin Ports region.

Prosecutors said Lucas took calls from customers in Chicago and directed them to preset meeting spots in Duluth, where associates completed sales.

Over 19 seizure events during the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 890 grams of fentanyl and 262 grams of methamphetamine, according to the release.

In a statement included by prosecutors, Duluth police Lt. Jason Tanski said, “This case sends a clear message: individuals who profit from distributing illegal substances in our community will be identified and prosecuted.”

Federal prosecutors said a grand jury indicted Lucas and others in February 2024 on conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The office said co-defendant Carl Brown, 32, of Chicago, was convicted at trial in August 2025 and later sentenced to 120 months in prison, while six other co-defendants also received prison terms.

The case was investigated by the Duluth Police Department, the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.