The Region News

Vorheese D. Zanders, Jr., 32, of Detroit, Michigan, has been sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. The sentencing was handed down by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after Zanders pled guilty to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This information was announced by United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Court documents reveal that Zanders and his associates traveled from Detroit to Fort Wayne, distributing fentanyl and other drugs throughout 2017 and 2018. Zanders supplied the fentanyl, while the group operated out of various hotels and residences in Fort Wayne, often armed with firearms.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Fort Wayne Police Department; the Indiana State Police; and the Taylor Police Department in Michigan. Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Stacey R. Speith prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community organizations. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy to enhance PSN based on principles such as fostering trust within communities, supporting community-based violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.