A Casper man will spend 12- to- 15 years behind bars for drug charges.

Xavier Preston Bynum heard the sentence from Judge Catherine Wilking on Thursday.

District Attorney Dan Itzen said that the court has heard variations of Bynum's case through co-defendents as the charges are related to a "drug network."

Itzen also told the judge that in a high speed chase involving Bynum, officers clocked speeds over 140 mph, which ultimately led to a crash.

He continued, "People used to talk about methamphetamines. Perhaps that was the worst drug we had ever seen, perhaps surpassed by fentanyl. We see weekly overdoses of fentanyl, and this man is a big part of that."

"These people were well-organized, making multiple runs to Colorado" said Itzen.

Itzen said in addition to fentanyl he was involved in the exchange of cocaine and steroids.

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Itzen cited numbers as high as 12lbs of meth and over 3000 fentanyl pills along with over $30,000 in cash and over a dozen guns collectively attributed to the circle of defendants during Bynum's presentencing investigation.

This group was a "well organized machine" endangering the community.

"These things wouldn't shock us if we were talking about Chicago or Denver. But we're talking about Casper" Itzen said.

Itzen asked for 15-20 years imprisonment for counts 1 and 2 (conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine and fentanyl), to run concurrent, with credit for 329 days served.

Bynum's attorney said, "I want to point out that what the prosecutor said is basically correct, but my client was not the ringleader--Mr. Wallace was the person in charge of calling the shots and telling my client what to do. My client wasn't the brains of this or making calls in any way. Mr. Wallace was."

When asked if he had anything to say to the court, Bynum said, "I take full responsibility" and apologized.

Before sentencing, Judge Wilking said, "The court on a daily basis sees the ravages of methamphetamine use and abuse and now fentanyl and the devastating affects on the community." And while she said she appreciates Itzen taking full responsibility for his criminal actions, she sentenced him to 12- to- 15 years for each charge, to run concurrent, with credit for time served.

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