DETROIT – The leader of a massive heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl operation in Detroit is headed to prison for 30 years.
Officials said Demarco Tempo, who goes by Polo, was called “a McDonald’s for drugs” by former customers.
Between 2012 and June 2016, when he was arrested, Tempo led the Polo organization, a group of drug traffickers on the east side of Detroit who sold heroin and crack cocaine.
According to court records, the phone numbers used to reach Tempo were constantly receiving calls. During a 15-month period, there were 416,934 contacts on the two main numbers, with an average of more than 900 per day.
Authorities said an investigation into a rash of non-fatal fentanyl overdoses and a fatal overdose in Warren led to an investigation in 2016. According to authorities, Tempo’s organization was selling heroin mixed with fentanyl, and sometimes just fentanyl, to people.
After a three month long investigation, which included physical and electronic surveillance, undercover purchases, search warrants, and customer interviews, authorities identified several members of the Polo organization.
Between June and Sept. 2016, police arrested 13 people, including Tempo. Authorities said Temp had seven phones, including the two main phones used to contact him.
Many of them were convicted on numerous charges related to distribution, conspiracy to distribute and other charges related to overdoses.
Below are the sentences the 13 people received:
- Demarco Tempo, aka “Polo”: sentenced on Feb. 14, 2020, to 30 years
- Kenneth Sadler, aka “KO”: sentenced on Oct. 9, 2019, to 25 years
- Darius Gordon, aka “Debo”: sentenced on Sept. 13, 2018, to 11 years
- Haratio Heard, aka “Show”: sentenced on Aug. 28, 2018, to 10 years (shot and killed on Oct. 23, 2018, while pending surrender to begin serving his sentence)
- Juwan Allen, aka “Juan”: sentenced on June 14, 2018, to 10 years
- Greg Howard, aka “G”: sentenced on Aug. 3, 2018, to 10 years
- Marcus Gilbert: sentenced on Sept. 13, 2018, to 103 months
- Alvin Coates: sentenced on Sept. 13, 2018, to 87 months
- Javon Brown, aka “J”: sentenced on April 25, 2019, to 87 months
- Dennis Jones, aka “Shorty”: sentenced on April 30, 2018, to 7 years
- Randy Stewart, aka “Bookie”: sentenced on July 28, 2017, to 5 years
- Darreyl Coneal: sentenced on May 7, 2018, to 3 years.
- Amacio Alexander: sentenced on May 1, 2019, to 1 year.