Cornhusker State News

A 19-year-old Omaha resident, Dale Jackson, was sentenced in federal court for his involvement in the distribution and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl analogue. United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., imposed a sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment on the conspiracy charge and 70 months on the distribution charge, with both sentences to run concurrently. Jackson will also serve a five-year term of supervised release after completing his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case stemmed from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Omaha Police Department into drug activity involving counterfeit “M-30” pills, which often contain fentanyl or its analogues. According to authorities, associates Latrell Knight and Dale Jackson obtained these pills from a shared supplier and sold them in Omaha.

Between April 17 and September 10, 2024, Knight and Jackson conducted several sales of M-30 pills to a confidential source at various locations including outside Knight’s residence and at a Casey’s gas station near 72nd and Grover streets in Omaha. Both individuals sold pills together as well as separately during this period. In addition to selling drugs, Knight sold two firearms—a DB9 9mm handgun on May 6 and a Glock 17 9mm handgun on July 11—to the same confidential source.

On July 11, text messages show that Jackson attempted to arrange a $1,000 drug transaction for the confidential source with their supplier; however, that deal did not go through on that day. Authorities reported that Jackson shorted the source twice by providing fewer pills than agreed upon—50 M-30 pills each time. In total, approximately 1,616 M-30 pills were sold during the course of this conspiracy.

Jackson’s cellphones were seized under warrant on December 30, 2024. The search revealed further evidence of fentanyl sales involving at least another 84 M-30 pills beyond those included in controlled purchases by law enforcement sources. Messages also showed ongoing discussions with their supplier about acquiring more M-30 pills.

Both Jackson and Knight were arrested on January 23, 2025.

Knight has pleaded guilty to charges including drug conspiracy, drug distribution, and possession of a firearm related to drug trafficking. His sentencing is scheduled for September 25, 2025.

According to officials: “This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.”

The investigation was conducted by both the FBI and Omaha Police Department.