3 indicted for trafficking fentanyl to Bemidji, Red Lake Nation

Apr. 3—MINNEAPOLIS — Three people have been indicted on conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and firearm charges for allegedly trafficking fentanyl to Bemidji and the Red Lake Nation.

According to court documents, from April through September 2024, 38-year-old La'veal O'Neal Allen, of Minneapolis, 28-year-old Marquise Javon Walker, of Lakeville, and 37-year-old Michaela Karon McKinney, of New Hope, knowingly conspired with each other to possess and distribute fentanyl.

The indictment charges Allen, Walker and McKinney with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Allen was also charged with felon in possession of a firearm, the release said. As the indictment details, Allen's criminal history includes multiple felonies, including two convictions for first-degree aggravated robbery and a conviction for a predatory offender registration violation.

Because Allen has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

"Fentanyl continues to flood communities throughout Minnesota, and unfortunately, we see some of the highest rates of overdose and addiction on our (tribal reservation land)," Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick said in the release. "This trio of defendants has plagued the Red Lake Nation and the Bemidji area for years. No more. My office will ensure these purveyors of poison see federal justice."

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

"An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," the release noted.