Final member sentenced in TN fentanyl, methamphetamine trafficking ring
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE:
JACKSON, Tenn. – A federal judge has sentenced James Calvin Hennings, 43, of Milan, Tennessee to over 27 years in federal prison for his role in an organized drug trafficking scheme in Western Tennessee as well as possession of contraband by a federal inmate. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
Agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation conducted a series of controlled purchases from Hennings during the months of March and April 2022. These controlled purchases led to a Title III wiretap investigation that ran from May 20, 2022 until July 6, 2022 that revealed Hennings received drugs from a source of supply operating out of California and Middle Tennessee and then re-distributed narcotics within the Western District of Tennessee. Hennings, a known affiliate of the Crip Street Gang, was previously injured in a shooting that left him confined to a wheelchair. Due to his limited mobility, he compensated co-conspirators with methamphetamine and financial payments in exchange for their assistance in distributing narcotics.
During the pendency of the T-III interceptions, Hennings was intercepted ordering drugs from sources outside the state to ship narcotics to the Western District of Tennessee; these efforts were thwarted by law enforcement. Additionally, he made several attempts to purchase and acquire firearms, intending to retaliate for his previously sustained injury.
Between March 2022 and July 2022, agents seized 2,361 grams of methamphetamine, 4,197 pills containing 452 grams of fentanyl, several pounds of marijuana and three firearms from this drug trafficking organization. After Hennings’ arrest and incarceration for the federal drug trafficking charges, he was found in possession of a cellular telephone in a United States Marshals holding facility.
The following co-conspirators were also sentenced as part of their plea agreements in this case:
- Robert Linningham, 41, of Humboldt, TN: 120 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
- Justin Cody Rodgers, 37, of Jackson, TN: 66 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
“This sentence reflects Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) commitment to ensuring criminals face severe consequences when they flood our communities with illegal contraband,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “The removal of dangerous narcotics from our streets affirms our commitment to ensuring public safety and protecting our citizens from the devastating impact caused by illegal drugs. We will not tolerate those individuals who prey on some of the most vulnerable members in our communities. Our communities are safer today largely due to a strong collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners.”
This investigation was conducted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Milan Police Department, Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Drug Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, as well as the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christie Hopper and Hillary Parham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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