A Texas Tech University professor and two Lubbock residents have been charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Daniel Taylor, 50, who serves as an assistant professor of marketing and supply chain management at Texas Tech’s Rawls College of Business, was charged on February 18, 2026. The federal complaint also names Alisha Red-Eagle, 21, and Mackenzie Gilcrease, 28.
Authorities allege that Taylor distributed two types of fentanyl powder known as “Pink Flamingo” and “Ghost.” The complaint states that Taylor had been under investigation for several months. On January 12, 2026, law enforcement observed Red-Eagle entering and exiting Taylor’s vehicle at a convenience store before getting into a white SUV. After a traffic stop by the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to an overdose in the SUV involving suspected fentanyl supplied by Red-Eagle. Narcan and emergency medical services were administered at the scene. A search revealed five fentanyl pills, a bag containing fentanyl powder, aluminum foil wrappers with residue, and other items associated with drug use.
“Instead of focusing on teaching students supply chain management, the defendant, as alleged, was developing and implementing his own supply chain of lethal fentanyl into the streets of Lubbock,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “As alleged, at least in one instance, the fentanyl the defendant peddled through his drug trafficking organization caused an overdose. We hope the students of Texas Tech and the Lubbock community understand that my office will vigorously prosecute drug dealers and drug traffickers no matter if you are a professor or a street level dealer.”
DEA Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker commented: “This arrest underscores the stark and troubling irony that an individual entrusted with educating others instead chose to distribute one of the deadliest drugs facing our communities today. While this conduct is in no way reflective of Texas Tech University, it highlights that fentanyl trafficking can emerge from any corner of our society, and DEA, alongside our federal, state, and local partners, remains committed to identifying and holding accountable those who choose to profit from this poison.”
The complaint further details an incident on February 17 when agents saw Gilcrease meet Taylor at his residence before leaving in a pickup truck. After being stopped for a traffic violation by deputies—and following a K-9 alert—officers found three pink plastic baggies containing fentanyl inside a pink envelope marked with a flamingo graphic. Methamphetamine was also recovered from the vehicle. Later that night during a search warrant execution at Taylor’s home, law enforcement located substances testing positive for methamphetamine along with packaging materials linked to previous incidents.
All three defendants made their initial court appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge in Lubbock and remain in custody pending further proceedings. If convicted on all charges related to conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, each faces up to twenty years in federal prison.
The investigation involved multiple agencies working together through the Texas Anti-Gang Center and Caprock Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force—including agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and Lubbock Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is not evidence; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
