Laurie Ann Chapman, a 53-year-old resident of Pensacola, Florida, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to fentanyl trafficking. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, Chapman admitted guilt to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, as well as two counts of distribution.
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin stated: “Fentanyl has had an undeniably devastating, deadly impact on countless communities nationwide, which led President Donald J. Trump to designate the drug a Weapon of Mass Destruction in December 2025 to ensure we deploy every federal resource possible to eliminate it from our streets. Sheriff Chip Simmons and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are doing great work in collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners to attack this threat head-on, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute and seek maximum punishment for anyone who peddles this poison.”
Court documents reveal that Chapman was under investigation for several months by local and federal law enforcement agencies. Surveillance operations captured multiple incidents where Chapman and others distributed fentanyl in the community. The investigation concluded on May 29, 2025, when officers conducted a traffic stop that resulted in Chapman being found with over 100 grams of fentanyl intended for sale.
Chapman is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and could receive up to forty years behind bars. After serving her sentence, she may also be subject to up to five years of supervised release.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative focused on using all available resources from the Department of Justice against illegal immigration, criminal organizations such as cartels and transnational groups involved in violent crime or trafficking activities.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2026 at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before Judge T. Kent Wetherell II.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson following an investigation conducted jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Additional information about public court documents can be found at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl).
