A St. Paul resident, Quijuan Hosea Bankhead, has been sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release for his involvement in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
Court documents reveal that from August 2022 to December 2023, Bankhead, aged 31, conspired with others to distribute fentanyl across the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota. As part of their operation, co-defendants traveled to Phoenix to procure fentanyl pills from suppliers. These pills were concealed inside stuffed animals and mailed to various addresses around the Twin Cities area. A joint investigation by law enforcement agencies in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties led to the seizure of six packages containing over 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills.
Bankhead’s sentencing took place on May 29, 2025, before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan at the U.S District Court.
“Bankhead and his network smuggled deadly fentanyl into Minnesota and had the gall to hide this poison inside of children’s toys—stuffed animals,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Bankhead will now serve a well-deserved decade in federal prison.”
The case was investigated by several agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Dakota County Drug Task Force, Washington County Drug Task Force, and Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner was responsible for prosecuting the case.
