Matthew McChesney is the Fort Wayne man at the center of the largest marijuana bust in Allen County, Indiana history. On March 5, 2008, federal agents and Allen County police raided his residence on Antwerp Road and seized roughly 6,700 pounds of marijuana, valued at about $6 million, along with firearms and cash.1The Journal Gazette. Co-Defendant in Huge Pot Bust Gets 70 Months in Federal Prison He was later sentenced to 27 years in federal prison.
What Was Found in the March 2008 Raid
The raid at 22633 Antwerp Road produced the roughly 6,700-pound marijuana haul that made the case the largest of its kind in Fort Wayne and Allen County.1The Journal Gazette. Co-Defendant in Huge Pot Bust Gets 70 Months in Federal Prison The same day, officers stopped McChesney in a traffic stop and recovered about 12 pounds of marijuana, another 22 grams of marijuana, a pipe, more than $165,000 in cash, and a handgun from his person and rental vehicle.2Casemine. U.S. v. McChesney, 1:08-CR-24-TS He later moved to suppress the search; the court denied the motion, finding the officer had probable cause based on the odor of marijuana.
How the Case Was Built
Law enforcement had been tracking McChesney for years. In 2001, he was involved in the pickup of 400 pounds of marijuana from an undercover officer in Omaha, Nebraska, and a follow-up search of his Fort Wayne home turned up 25 pounds of marijuana, cash, and guns. In 2006, an Illinois traffic stop of a rental SUV he was driving produced about $11,000 in cash and marijuana residue.2Casemine. U.S. v. McChesney, 1:08-CR-24-TS
In the six months before the 2008 raid, investigators conducted daily surveillance of the Antwerp Road property and pulled trash from the site, recovering items that tested positive for marijuana. They also noted that McChesney owned between 12 and 14 houses, well beyond what his known income would support, and that he and his associates used Hertz rental vehicles to move product and shield assets from forfeiture. A February 2008 Arizona stop of associate Jason McCollister, who was driving a pickup truck registered to McChesney with 700 pounds of marijuana on board, tied McChesney directly to interstate transport.2Casemine. U.S. v. McChesney, 1:08-CR-24-TS
The Charges and 27-Year Sentence
McChesney was charged in a six-count federal indictment in the Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Division, case number 1:08-CR-24-TS.2Casemine. U.S. v. McChesney, 1:08-CR-24-TS He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and a firearms charge.
In March 2011, U.S. District Judge Theresa Springmann sentenced him to 324 months, or 27 years, in federal prison, followed by eight years of supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Geller prosecuted the case.3U.S. Department of Justice. Northern District of Indiana Sentencings Approximately $1.9 million in assets, including cash, vehicles, and residences, were forfeited to the federal government as a result of the conviction.4FBI. Michael Fabini of Fort Wayne Sentenced to 168 Months
The Ring Behind the Bust
McChesney’s arrest did not shut the operation down. Prosecutors later identified McChesney and Michael Fabini as the “top drug dealers” in the Fort Wayne area, running a network that transported high-quality marijuana from California to Indiana for repackaging and sale.4FBI. Michael Fabini of Fort Wayne Sentenced to 168 Months The conspiracy ran from roughly September 2007 through December 2012. The group moved drugs in trucks marked with the signage of a sham company called “Complete Lawn Care.”5SI.com. Fabini Plea Agreement
Fabini, the brother of former NFL offensive lineman Jason Fabini, was arrested in a December 2012 FBI raid at his home in the Cherry Hills subdivision of Fort Wayne and named in a 44-count indictment. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and to engaging in a monetary transaction derived from drug trafficking.6The Indiana Lawyer. Brother of Former NFL Player Enters Plea Agreement In March 2015 he was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and agreed to forfeit $5 million and other assets.4FBI. Michael Fabini of Fort Wayne Sentenced to 168 Months
Marshall Butler managed a stash house on Kohart Place in Fort Wayne, pleaded guilty in October 2014 to maintaining a drug-involved premises, and was sentenced in May 2015 to 70 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release.1The Journal Gazette. Co-Defendant in Huge Pot Bust Gets 70 Months in Federal Prison A fourth associate, Jamison Gudorf, was arrested in the same December 2012 sweep and sentenced in February 2014 to 27 months.7WANE. Admitted Drug Dealer Gets Over 5 Years in Prison
A Different Matthew McChesney in the News
A separate and unrelated person by the same name, an 18-year-old recent graduate of Gulf Breeze High School in Florida, was arrested in July 2025 on child pornography charges in Santa Rosa County, Florida, after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.8WEAR-TV. A Closer Look at Investigation Into Recent Gulf Breeze HS Grad for Child Porn That case has no connection to the Fort Wayne drug trafficking prosecution.