Dejuan Cooper
A Chattanooga man who federal authorities called a "poly-drug distributor" has been sentenced to serve 192 months in federal prison.
Dejuan Cooper appeared before Judge Charles Atchley.
He was arrested in March 2022 along with Edward Ayala and charged by federal authorities with distributing large amounts of fentanyl, which has brought on a number of overdose deaths.
Cooper was arrested initially after agents on Jan. 25 got permission for a wiretap of phones used by Cooper. Agents were able to listen to a number of conversations on fentanyl deals beginning on Feb. 11.
When Cooper was arrested, he had $2,627 in cash on him. Another $16,980 in cash was found in his bedroom along with a large amount of heroin.
Afterward, Cooper and Edward Ayala were indicted by a federal Grand Jury on drug selling charges.
Prosecutors said Cooper faced enhanced punishment because of a prior conviction for a violent felony - facilitation to commit aggravated robbery. Also he had a prior federal conviction for crack cocaine sales.
Ayala was earlier sentenced to 70 months.