A Michigan man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in an Arizona-based fentanyl distribution operation that prosecutors say used the U.S. Postal Service to transport large quantities of the drug across state lines.
Mark Craythorn Thompson, 63, of Detroit, was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. In addition to the 60-month prison sentence, Thompson will serve four years of supervised release following his release.
The case stems from a September 2023 investigation in which federal authorities tracked a package mailed from Arizona to Detroit. Investigators arrested Thompson after he picked up the parcel, which contained approximately 997 grams of powdered fentanyl—nearly one kilogram. Prosecutors said the drugs were intended for distribution throughout the Detroit metropolitan area.
The investigation was led by the Homeland Security Task Force, an interagency initiative focused on disrupting drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations. The case reflects Arizona’s continuing role as a major transit point in nationwide fentanyl trafficking investigations, with federal authorities frequently targeting distribution networks that move the synthetic opioid from the Southwest to communities across the country.
