Hastings Man Sentenced to Over 2 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jesse S. Flanagan, age 36, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 10, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Flanagan to a total of 28 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Flanagan’s release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.

On September 23, 2023, Flanagan was travelling on Interstate 80 with another individual.  Shortly before 4:00 a.m., two Nebraska State Troopers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle.  Flanagan was identified as the driver and there was another individual in the front passenger seat.  Flanagan and the other individual were separated while the troopers asked questions.  The front seat passenger admitted that Flanagan had handed her a bag of fentanyl pills to hide from the troopers as they were getting pulled over.  The bag was seized, and it was determined that the bag contained 656 pills.  The State Patrol Crime Lab confirmed the pills contained fentanyl and that the combined weight of the pills was 69.67 grams.

This case was investigated by the Tri-City Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). TRIDENT is a task force with law enforcement personnel from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.