NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Clarksville man will spend 25 years in federal prison for crimes he committed while he was out on bond for a state murder charge, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.
According to the DOJ, Mark Ellis, 30, of Clarksville, was convicted in May of 2023 for a host of fentanyl and gun charges, including conspiracy to distribute and sale of the deadly narcotic.
Evidence at trial showed Ellis, in January of 2022, while out on bond for a first degree murder indictment for a 2018 shooting, sold a fentanyl mixture to a police informant during a controlled deal. Evidence also showed Ellis possessed a 9mm pistol during the drug deal. A search warrant was executed at the home of one of Ellis' family members, where police seized a pound of fentanyl.
Ellis was indicted in July 2021 for a June 2018 homicide. He was awaiting trial for that homicide charge when he was involved in a Clarksville Waffle House shooting that injured three people.
During the trial, prosecutors played a recording between Ellis and his co-conspirator, Yennifer Angeles, made while Ellis was in jail after his arrest. This recording showed Ellis and Angeles made plans to continue selling fentanyl while Ellis was incarcerated. Angeles later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced in August of 2023, according to the DOJ.
Federal authorities say Ellis was sentenced to 300 months—25 years—in federal prison for the host of crimes. His state murder case is still pending in criminal court, according to the DOJ.
“Fentanyl continues to poison countless people throughout Middle Tennessee,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “Combating fentanyl trafficking is a top priority for this office and we will continue to work aggressively to hold accountable those who deal this deadly drug. Today’s sentence should send a clear message that fentanyl dealers face serious consequences.”