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Two Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl

A Pensacola man and woman received prison terms for drug distribution charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 1, 2026, 10:31 p.m. ET
Developing · checked 36 min ago

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

We last searched for new coverage of this at Sep 1, 2026, 11:08 p.m. ET — checked 36 min ago.

Two people were to federal prison for drug distribution charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida announced on September 1, 2026. Adrian Dion Pettaway Jr., 25, of Pensacola, was to 28 months for distribution of fentanyl. Gindy Nicole Lacey, 49, of Pensacola, was to 60 months for distribution of methamphetamine, tramadol, and fentanyl. Court records show that in November 2024, Lacey sold tramadol pills and methamphetamine to an undercover officer, and in December 2024, she sold 1,000 pills containing fentanyl during an undercover operation. The investigation revealed that Pettaway had supplied Lacey with the fentanyl pills. Lacey was previously convicted of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp. It is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative.

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  1. Version 12 Sept 2026, 02:31current

    First published.

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