FORT WAYNE - Lauren Grant, age 36, of Angola, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Holly A. Brady after her plea of guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Grant was sentenced to 200 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to documents in this case, Grant entered a plea of guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, and in her plea agreement, she agreed to being involved in the distribution of 1.5 to 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. In August through October 2019, Grant supplied multiple ounce of methamphetamine to co-defendant Aric Starnes and others.

Co-defendant, Aric Starnes, age 47, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced October 9, 2020, to 130 months in prison.

“Keeping dangerous drugs off the streets helps reduce violence,” said United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. “We work in coordination with DEA and other law enforcement agencies to continue to fight drug distribution through enforcement.”

DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Michael Gannon said, “The over 16 year sentence of Ms. Grant was just and necessary for the fine citizens of Fort Wayne and our surrounding communities. Individuals like Ms. Grant must be held accountable for their actions. The DEA Fort Wayne Post of Duty is committed to working with the Allen County Drug Task Force and our other federal, state, and local partners to investigate and arrest drug traffickers and keep our communities safe. The DEA appreciates the exceptional work, by all involved, to bring Ms. Grant to justice.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Drug Task Force, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.