Garrett Scott Wheelen, a 33-year-old resident of Fresno, has been sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Dena M. Coggins, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel commented on the case, stating, “Garrett Wheelen brazenly attempted to throw packages containing tobacco and methamphetamine into the prison yard of Federal Correctional Institution, Mendota.” He emphasized that federal prisons are highly controlled environments and highlighted the FBI’s collaboration with local, state, and federal partners to prevent contraband introduction.
Court documents reveal that on May 1, 2024, Wheelen arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution Mendota wearing a facemask, baseball cap, and hoodie to hide his identity. In daylight hours, he approached the prison fence and threw four packages into the recreation yard before being quickly apprehended while trying to escape. The packages contained over three pounds of methamphetamine. At that time, Wheelen was already under supervised release from a previous federal felony charge.
Wheelen initially planned to conceal the narcotics inside red squirrel pelts to evade detection by prison staff. Text messages showed discussions about purchasing pelts and sewing narcotics inside them. However, he abandoned this plan and instead threw the drugs over the fence without any disguise.
In addition to his sentence for drug possession with intent to distribute, Wheelen received a concurrent two-year sentence for violating supervised release terms.
The investigation leading to Wheelen’s sentencing involved cooperation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mendota Police Department, and Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Dhruv M. Sharma are prosecuting this case.
