Detroit Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

FORT WAYNE – Vorheese D. Zanders, Jr., 32 years old, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. 

Zanders was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Zanders and his fellow drug traffickers came from Detroit to Fort Wayne where they distributed fentanyl and other drugs throughout 2017 and 2018.  Zanders supplied the fentanyl, and the group dealt drugs from several Fort Wayne hotels and residences, while commonly armed with firearms.  

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Taylor Police Department in Michigan.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller and Stacey R. Speith.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.