Barrien County Man Convicted By A Federal Jury For Narcotics Crimes
Saturday, December 14, 2024, 6:15 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
GRAND RAPIDS, MI.- On Friday, December 13, 2024, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, a federal jury found Willie David Lark, 53, of Benton Township, Michigan, guilty of multiple federal narcotics violations.
The jury convicted Lark on the charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Quantities of Cocaine and Crack Cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten reported that Lark will be sentenced at a time and date to be scheduled by the district court.
Evidence Presented At Trial
According to the evidence presented at trial, during an ongoing investigation into the distribution of illicit narcotics throughout the Berrien County, Michigan area. In August 2022, investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Michigan State Police obtained and executed a court-authorized search warrant at Lark’s Benton Township residence.
Investigators Find Meth, Fentanyl, Cocaine, And Crack
During the search, investigators located and opened a safe. Inside the safe, investigators found over 188 grams of pure methamphetamine, commonly known as “Ice,” over 100 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and xylazine, over 70 grams of cocaine, and 31 grams of crack cocaine. Additionally, investigators found evidence that Lark was selling and distributing the controlled substances.
The jury also heard testimony that approximately two weeks later, in September 2022, when they finally located and arrested Lark, investigators found additional amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in his pants pockets, individually packaged for potential sales. In Lark’s truck, investigators also located a key to the safe that investigators previously searched.
“Illicit street drugs can kill,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “In particular, xylazine and fentanyl drug mixtures place users at a higher risk of suffering a fatal drug poisoning. Just a speck of fentanyl can be lethal, and naloxone (Narcan) does not reverse the potentially deadly effects of xylazine. While we can never prosecute our way out of a drug epidemic, my office is committed to disrupting the flow of these poisons into our communities.”
