Louisville Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

Louisville, KY - A Louisville, Kentucky man was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl.

U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.

On September 22, 2025, Christopher Payne, 30, was sentenced to 9 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Payne pled guilty on June 12, 2025, to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, between April 3, 2024, and July 9, 2024.

There is no parole in the federal system.

The FBI and KSP investigated the case, with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Frank Dahl III prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.

This conviction is a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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