TOLEDO, Ohio — Derrick Murphy, a 40-year-old Toledo resident, has recently been handed a 320-month prison sentence by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick, following his guilty plea to both enticement of a minor and drug-related charges. Murphy is further mandated to undergo 10 years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
Murphy received a 180-month sentence for his involvement in a drug syndicate and for the distribution and intent to distribute illicit drugs.
Documents from the court reveal that in late July 2019, FBI operatives stationed in Toledo were alerted by their colleagues in San Diego, California, and Charlotte, North Carolina. This tip-off indicated the presence of a courier linked to a drug cartel based in Sinaloa, Mexico, who was reportedly trafficking large volumes of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl into Toledo.
Subsequent probes led Toledo agents to identify Murphy as the principal local distributor. In the culmination of this extensive investigation, by the end of April 2021, agents were informed that Murphy was awaiting a significant consignment of suspected fentanyl. Surveillance operations followed by a traffic stop resulted in the confiscation of around 5 kilograms of fentanyl and cash amounting to $17,515 from affiliates of Murphy’s ring. Further federal search warrants unearthed more fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
Additionally, Murphy was handed a 140-month sentence for coercing a minor into producing sexually explicit content from December 2020 to May 2021. Both his sentences will be served back-to-back.
The FBI, in collaboration with the Toledo Metro Drug Task Force and the Toledo Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, spearheaded the investigation of this case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Alissa Sterling.