Rashid James-Wooten, 29, formerly of Florida, has been sentenced to 72 months in
federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States Attorney Kevin R.
Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, on September 8, 2021,
detectives with the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit received information that
narcotics were possibly on a flight from Los Angeles to Memphis. Investigators used a drug-sniffing
dog, which gave a positive alert on a suitcase that was owned by Rashid James-Wooten.
A search of the suitcase revealed 996 grams of fentanyl, 4,472 grams of
methamphetamine, and 1,220 grams of marijuana. James-Wooten was placed into custody after
inquiring at baggage claim about his lost luggage.
James-Wooten pled guilty to the offense.
United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced James-Wooten to six years’
imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the
federal system.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task
Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug
trafficking organizations and organized criminal enterprises, targeting national and regional level
drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and
resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit, the Drug
Enforcement Administration, Memphis Airport Police, and United States Customs
and Border Protection.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks,
who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.