Four Charged With Drug Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On July 18, 2024, a federal grand jury in Knoxville, Tennessee, returned an eight-count indictment against four defendants—Mark O’Neil Robinson, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia; Christopher Harold Roberts, 57, of Knoxville, Tennessee; Brian Kirksey, 44, of Knoxville, Tennessee; and Donnie Lee Oliver, 55, of Powell, Tennessee.

According to the indictment filed with the court, all defendants are charged with a conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A).  Robinson is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, including a firearm equipped with a silencer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).  Roberts is also charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).

Robinson had his initial appearance on July 22, 2024; Oliver and Kirksey had their initial appearances on August 5, 2024; and Roberts had his initial appearance on August 6, 2024.  Each defendant’s initial appearance in this case was in the United States District Court at Knoxville, before the Honorable Judge Debra C. Poplin, United States Magistrate Judge, and each defendant entered a plea of not guilty.  This case has been set for trial on September 24, 2024, before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court at Knoxville.  

If convicted, Robinson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 60 years and up to life, as well as other penalties; Kirksey and Oliver each face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and up to life in prison and other penalties; Roberts faces a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 15 years and up to life in prison and other penalties.

United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.

This indictment is the result of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Quencer and Caroline Poore will represent the United States.         

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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