FARGO - US Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on Jan. 25, 2017, Michael Antwain Modisett, 34, aka “MOE”, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sentenced before US District Judge John R. Tunheim to serve a life sentence for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Heroin. Modisett was found guilty following a five-day trial on Jan. 8, 2016.
In late 2012, Modisett began supplying individuals from Moorhead, Minnesota, and Fargo, North Dakota with large amounts of heroin. Specifically, heroin was brought from Chicago, Illinois and Minneapolis by Modisett or associates of his, to the Fargo/Moorhead area where they would meet with local distributors who in turn sold to various customers. During portions of this conspiracy, Modisett continued to run the operation while he was placed at a halfway house in the Minneapolis area on an unrelated matter. During this time, Modisett’s distributors in the Fargo/Moorhead area would contact Modisett, who, in turn, would get them in contact with his associates who would deliver large quantities of heroin to the Fargo/Moorhead area distributors. The area distributors would sell the heroin and wire money to Modisett or send cash to Minneapolis, Minnesota via his associates.
By 2014, law enforcement discovered Modisett’s distribution network and subsequently conducted dozens of interviews and executed a series of search warrants in Fargo/Moorhead locations resulting in seizures of heroin supplied by Modisett, and cash proceeds destined for Modisett from the heroin sales.
Including Modisett, a total of 8 individuals have been convicted in U.S. District Court in North Dakota for their roles in this conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Fargo Police Department, Moorhead Police Department, Cass County Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force.
Assistant US Attorneys Brett Shasky and Jennifer Puhl prosecuted the case.