OMAHA, Neb. — A 29-year-old Omaha man has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Duane Walker Jr. was sentenced Thursday to 19½ years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr.. According to a news release from U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods, the federal prison system does not offer parole. After completing his sentence, Walker must also serve five years of supervised release.
Prosecutors said Walker was held responsible for a drug quantity equivalent to about 29,000 fentanyl pills based on the weight of packages linked to the investigation.
An FBI task force began investigating Walker in November 2024 after receiving information that he was distributing fentanyl pills in Omaha. In January 2025, undercover agents conducted three controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Walker.
On Feb. 3, 2025, investigators intercepted a package sent through the United States Postal Service from Seattle to an Omaha address later identified as the home of Walker’s grandmother. After obtaining a warrant, authorities searched the package and found nearly 5,000 fentanyl pills inside.
At the time, Walker had already been arrested on an unrelated warrant. Investigators said he was carrying a backpack containing $49,688 in cash, which authorities said will be forfeited as proceeds from drug trafficking.
Postal records showed the package had been mailed by co-defendant Alvin Mitchell, 38. Authorities said seven additional packages were also shipped from Seattle to the same Omaha address over a four-month period. Investigators also found text messages between Walker and Mitchell discussing the shipments.
Mitchell has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 20.
The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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