Springfield gang member sentenced for role in heroin/fentanyl conspiracy

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than four kilograms of heroin and/or fentanyl.

Marquise D. Martin, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Wednesday, June 14, to 12 years in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 3, 2022, Martin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl. Martin admitted that he participated in the conspiracy that distributed more than four kilograms of fentanyl from Sept. 23, 2018, to Nov. 14, 2019.

On Aug. 29, 2019, Martin sold .693 grams of fentanyl to a law enforcement confidential informant during a controlled transaction. Although Martin routinely claimed to be selling heroin, the drug in this case actually was fentanyl. Following a traffic stop in Springfield on May 11, 2019, Martin fled from officers on foot and discarded 7.1 grams of fentanyl in a convenience store bathroom.

According to court documents, Martin received approximately one ounce (28.5 grams) of fentanyl from co-defendant Jerry D. Bedell, 32, of Springfield, every other day for two to three months. Bedell is responsible for distributing at least 10 kilograms of fentanyl.

Martin has an apparent gang affiliation, according to court documents. Martin grew up in a neighborhood where the “Rollin’ 60s Crips” were present but denied association with them. However, a sentencing memorandum filed by the government refers to a review of his public Facebook page that revealed numerous posts indicative of Crips gang membership or affiliation.

Martin is among 10 defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case and the first defendant to be sentenced. Bedell pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2022, to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy, as well as to illegally possessing a firearm, and awaits sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Bourbon, Mo., Police Department, and the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.