MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man will spend 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a prohibited firearm.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says Jimmie Bivins, Jr. was sentenced Wednesday by senior Judge Michael J. Davis. After being released he will serve five years probation.
Court documents reflect that in 2021 and 2022 Bivins and his co-conspirators were part of a trafficking ring that obtained M30 or MBox fentanyl pills from an outside source and distributed them across the Twin Cities region in quantities of 1,000 or more. On one occasion, prosecutors say Bivins sold 2,030 fentanyl pills to an undercover informant in a transaction that took place inside his Uptown apartment.
Investigators conducted a seizure operation in March 2022 and obtained approximately 57,000 M30 fentanyl pills, more than $83,000 in U.S. currency and multiple guns from Bivins, including a Seekings Precision Model SP223 semi-automatic rifle from the defendant's vehicle. Bivins was arrested, charged in Hennepin County District Court and eventually released on bail.
In July of 2022, Bivins was pulled over for a traffic stop and law enforcement recovered a Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine containing 28 rounds. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury.
As a convicted felon Bivins is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
“Fentanyl is a uniquely dangerous drug, making it the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 45,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “Fentanyl traffickers who carry firearms to protect their deadly trade can expect to face lengthy federal prison sentences.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, Dakota County Drug Task Force, and the Fridley and St. Paul police departments all took part in the investigation that led to Bivins' conviction.
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