A Phoenix man has been sentenced to over four years in prison for using unsuspecting local bookstores to smuggle drugs to federal inmates, authorities said.
Julius Darnell Dixon, 54, received a 51-month prison sentence followed by 60 months of supervised release, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. The ruling was handed down by U.S. District Judge Steven Logan.
Dixon pleaded guilty in October to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. According to prosecutors, the scheme ran from February 2023 to April 2024 and involved using books to conceal Suboxone strips, a prescription medication often abused as a drug substitute.
Dixon exploited Phoenix bookstores by making it appear as though the inmates had purchased the books directly from the retailers, bypassing standard prison security measures. The smuggling operation unraveled when prison staff intercepted two suspicious packages linked to Dixon.
Investigators traced the packages back to Phoenix-area bookstores, where Dixon had provided his name, mailing address, and email address. This evidence ultimately exposed his role in the conspiracy and led to his conviction.