A Detroit man has been sentenced to more than 22 years in federal prison for leading a fentanyl trafficking operation in northwest Indiana.

Devin Melvin, 33, received a 270-month sentence in South Bend after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl.

Investigators say Melvin organized a group that moved tens of thousands of pills from Detroit to Michigan City over a 10-month period.

About ten thousand pills were seized during the investigation.

Four other members of the operation have already been sentenced in federal court.

Authorities say fentanyl, often disguised as counterfeit prescription pills, continues to drive overdose deaths across northern Indiana.