Court upholds drug sentences for two Kentucky men tied to fentanyl trafficking
LEXINGTON, KY, October 17, 2025 — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has upheld the prison sentences of two men convicted in a drug-trafficking scheme involving fentanyl and methamphetamine distributed throughout the Lexington area.
According to the opinion issued October 17, 2025, Daniel Matthews and Markel Levail Livingston both challenged the reasonableness of their sentences after pleading guilty to federal drug-related offenses. Matthews was sentenced to 228 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Livingston received 74 months for conspiracy to distribute the same substances.
The appellate panel found that the district court properly applied a sentencin...







