Man charged with killing 5 young women in crash indicted on fentanyl, gun charges

A man accused of killing five young women in a high-speed crash this summer in Minneapolis has now been indicted in federal court on suspicion of drug and weapon violations.

Derrick John Thompson, 28, of Brooklyn Park, faces federal charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, illegal possession of a firearm as a felon and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Prosecutors filed a criminal complaint for those charges in June, and a grand jury has now indicted him.

According to court documents, on the night of June 16, a State Patrol trooper clocked Thompson heading north on Interstate 35W at about 95 mph before he exited onto Lake Street, ran a red light and smashed into another vehicle. All five occupants inside the other car died from their injuries: Sabiriin Ali, Sahra Gessade, Salma Abdikadir, Sagal Hersi and Siham Adam.

Officers searched Thompson’s rental car after the crash and found a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine as well as baggies containing more than 2,100 fentanyl pills, 14 grams of powdered fentanyl, 13 MDMA pills and 35 grams of cocaine, federal prosecutors say.

Court documents state the amount of drugs found in Thompson’s vehicle constitutes more than a “user amount” and is consistent with drug distribution and sale. Additionally, Thompson is not allowed to carry a firearm, as he has multiple prior felony convictions.

Thompson was convicted of fifth-degree drug possession in 2015 and pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to a 2018 hit-and-run crash in California that left a woman seriously injured.

Thomson also faces 10 state charges of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the young women’s deaths. A jury trial in that case is set to begin in February.