A Shelby County, Tennessee man was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison this month for possessing and selling fentanyl.
Ehren Coble, age 46, was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker on Feb. 15. This concludes a lengthy investigation into Cobley’s role in the suspected opioid trafficking business.
Background of the defendant
Coble was already in some legal trouble when he was convicted on drug charges. In November 2023 he also pleaded guilty to felony firearm possession, which led to four years of supervised release.
This prior conviction played a role in the judge deciding to give him a long prison sentence.
During investigation, huge quantity of drugs and cash were found.
In 2020, police began searching for Coble with some surveillance. Once they had enough evidence, they got a warrant to search his place.
They found seven guns, drugs like cocaine and heroin, and a lot of fentanyl. They also grabbed approximately $426,000 in cash they believe came from selling drugs.
Mr. Coble admitted to selling fentanyl
After being arrested, Coble took responsibility for having fentanyl at his location. He told federal authorities that he was selling it and that he had all the drugs he found there. This confession could affect his trial and how long he remains behind bars.
Several agencies are working together to rid the streets of drug dealers.
Getting Coble off the streets was a team effort that included law enforcement groups such as the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Memphis Police Department and ATF agents.
They worked together on an intensive investigation, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office overseeing the final prosecution under the leadership of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Allen.
The nearly 16-year sentence shows how serious law enforcement is about ridding Tennessee communities of drug dealers selling dangerous drugs like fentanyl.
It also sends a strong message to other traffickers that we are cracking down on illegal drug distribution in the region. People can expect local and federal agencies to team up and work together to stop the spread of these harmful drugs.