Detroit Man Sentenced to 40 months in Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy (DOJ)

DETROIT - A 52-year-old Detroit man, Israel Crumpton, was sentenced to 40 months in prison yesterday for trafficking heroin laced with fentanyl and cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.

Beck was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

For over a six-month period in 2018 and 2019, Crumpton and several lesser co-conspirators distributed substantial quantities of heroin laced with fentanyl and crack cocaine in the 7700 block of East Palmer Street in Detroit. Crumpton led and organized the drug distribution business. As the leader, he secured bulk narcotics from his suppliers and sold or directed others to sell those drugs to resellers or users, generating significant cash proceeds.

In November 2018, the County of Macomb Enforcement Team (COMET) became aware of Crumpton's drug distribution business. COMET members subsequently surveilled Crumpton's "trap house" and "stash house" in the 7700 block of East Palmer Street, observing numerous apparent illicit drug transactions occurring there. Based on its surveillance and other investigative activities, COMET secured search warrants for the two E. Palmer Street locations and another location on the westside of Detroit. Upon executing the search warrants, COMET members found and seized large quantities of distributable narcotics, drug paraphernalia, numerous firearms and ammunition, and over $40,000 in cash proceeds. Crumpton and a co-conspirator were charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking and one count of firearm possession. The co-conspirator pled guilty to drug trafficking. And, in May 2024, a jury convicted Crumpton of the drug trafficking charges.

Yesterday, the Honorable Denise Page Hood sentenced Crumpton to 40 months in prison.

"Our office aggressively pursues drug traffickers who push substantial quantities of dangerous drugs like heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine into our neighborhoods for personal gain and with indifference to the tragedy they inflict. Thanks to the outstanding teamwork among the Michigan State Police's County of Macomb Enforcement Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Attorney's Office, a dangerous drug trafficker has been removed from our streets," stated Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck.

"Isreal Crumpton sold a poison in our community out of pure greed, all while armed with illegal firearms. ATF and the Michigan State Police are united in their partnership to identify and target for federal prosecution armed drug traffickers of fentanyl in our community. Mr. Crumpton's plight should serve as a reminder that accountability is inevitable across Michigan for people who illegally possess firearms in furtherance of peddling poison in our community. The message should be very clear: If you deal deadly drugs while armed with an illegal firearm, you're not just on our radar - you're on the fast track to prison; so, pack a bag, we're coming for you," said James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Detroit Division.

This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police's County of Macomb Enforcement Team, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by AUSAs Pat Martin and Sarah Alsaden and investigated by AUSA Paul Kuebler.