By KATHRYN PALON
Contributing Writer
According to United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., Tamarious “Poogi” Faulkner, a Houston, Texas resident and leader of the violent Jackson street gang the Thorough Bread Family, was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison Tuesday. He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl.
Special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Field Division James Deir, Michigan State Police Colonel James F. Grady, II, Jackson Police and Fire Services Director Elmer J. Hitt, and Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette joined Gorgon Tuesday to announce the sentencing.
According to court documents, the fentanyl sold by Faulkner, 28, and his gang had a unique texture and coloring. Unlike most fentanyl, typically sold in powder form, TBF’s fentanyl was sold in a rock-like crystalline form, and was often colored yellow, purple, or green, rather than the usual white.
As this new type of fentanyl pushed by Faulkner and the TBF gang appeared on the streets, Jackson police witnessed a spike in overdoses and violence.
The mother of one of those fatal overdose victims, who described her daughter as “a beautiful soul,” wrote, “Under his leadership, this gang has taken lives, destroyed families, and devastated an entire community.”
After the arrest and prosecution of many TBF members, including Faulkner, Jackson Chief of Police Christopher A. Simpson noted that the Jackson community, “almost immediately rebounded . . . violent crime was cut in half . . . overdoses decreased, as well as the associated crimes with it.”
Six other co-conspirators, all from Jackson, have already been sentenced as follows: Demond Johns, 27, 10 years, 8 months in prison; Dominque Faulkner, 33,12 years, 6 months in prison; Zaire Faulkner, 26, 10 years in prison; Demarquan Smith, 23, 10 years in prison; Tommy Owens, 33, 8 years, 3 months in prison; Mario Murguia, 24, 5 years in prison.
“Gangs bring drugs and death to our communities. We are grateful that we can work alongside our federal, state, and local partners in the fight against this scourge,” said Gorgon.
“With Today’s sentencing, Jackson, Michigan, is a safer place to live,” said Deir. “Dominique Faulkner and the Thorough Bred gang chose guns, drugs, and violence—and now they are all where they belong: federal prison. Their reign of fear and terror in our community is over. There is no place in the great state of Michigan for cowards who choose greed and gun violence to profit from armed drug dealing. The people of Jackson deserve better; certainly, not thugs who think they’re above the law.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the Michigan State Police, Jackson Police Department, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Picek, Matthew Roth, and Craig Welkener.
