Major drug trafficking bust finds Minneapolis dealers ran fentanyl mall: Indictment

Major Minneapolis drug bust has 9 people indicted

Authorities made a major bust on a fentanyl drug trafficking operation in Minneapolis. FOX 9's Paul Blume has more.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Nine people are accused of trafficking fentanyl out of five apartment buildings near the same intersection in north Minneapolis' Folwell neighborhood, which authorities say turned the area into a "hotspot for violent crime."

‘Big Sip’ drug trafficking organization indicted

What we know:

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that nine members of the "Big Sip" drug trafficking organization (DTO) have been indicted on federal fentanyl and firearms charges.

Court documents say that Larry McGee, 42, Danielle Robberstad, 35, Maurice Montgomery, 31, Dameon Collins, 24, Marcus Lucious, 53, Romell Vann, 22, Bobby Nolan, 43, and Jeremy Lucious, 35, are all part of the "Big Sip" DTO. A ninth defendant is still under seal.

McGee is nicknamed "Big Sip", because he's from Mississippi, and the drug trafficking operation was named after him. McGee and his wife, Robberstad, led and operated the organization, which started in August 2023 and ran until June 2025.

The DOJ says that "Big Sip" (DTO) operated as a "high-volume" fentanyl sales operation near the intersection of 36th Avenue North and North Penn Avenue in the Folwell neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Court documents say the drug operation sold out of at least five apartment buildings in the area, and the organization allegedly contributed to crime in the area, including a "high volume of shootings, homicides, and drug use."

"There was five apartment buildings that are laid out in the indictment, and the indictment speaks about some of the effects that it's had on the residents of those apartment buildings and in that neighborhood, seeing people selling drugs, buying drugs, using drugs, overdosing on drugs, as well as the violent crime that often surrounds the drug trade," Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson told FOX 9.

How the drug organization was run

Dig deeper:

Court documents allege McGee led the organization. He reportedly obtained and stored the fentanyl, collected money from drug sales, and managed other members of the organization.

Robberstad allegedly co-led the operation with McGee, and she maintained the apartments for the sale and storage of the fentanyl. She also dealt with customers, provided vehicles for members to use, and managed other members' sales.

Montgomery, Marcus Lucious, Vann, Nolan and Jeremy Lucious all sold fentanyl at the apartments managed by McGee and Robberstad, court documents allege. Montgomery was also responsible for collecting and transporting the money from fentanyl sales to McGee. He, along with Collins and Vann, had firearms to "protect product and sales activities."

Court documents state that the DTO was designed to sell fentanyl to "as many customers as possible". They sold from inside apartment buildings that were easily accessible, and allowed buyers to come into the apartments, where the sellers would weigh the fentanyl and exchange it for cash.

The organization stored the fentanyl, scales, paraphernalia and cash in the apartments.

What they're saying:

"Certainly it's a significant take down, nine defendants in a big organization, it's going to have an impact. Obviously, you can't always prosecute your way out of these crimes, but the cases we've been doing in the recent years, targeting gangs and drug organizations, the highs and the lows, the bloods, we have a jury deliberating and a RICO trial right now. It has had an impact on violent crime rates, which are down in Minneapolis and St. Paul," Thompson told FOX 9.

"For too long, 36th and Penn has been a hotspot for violent crime," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara in a statement. "In 2024, there were four times as many shooting victims within a one block radius of 36th and Penn than the previous three-year average. Overall violent crime more than doubled within a one-block radius of 36th and Penn. We’ve seen the spike in violent crime and heard the concerns loud and clear from the community. Inspector Charlie Adams and the officers of the Fourth Precinct have been working closely with residents to address those concerns, while our investigators have pursued long-term strategies to bring relief. I’m incredibly grateful to the dedicated MPD personnel and to our local and federal partners who supported this investigation. I’m hopeful these arrests and charges will deliver an immediate impact and help restore a sense of safety for everyone who lives and works near 36th and Penn."