A former Texas Tech University professor was federally charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, accused of using his academic position to help funnel one of the deadliest opioids into local communities. Federal prosecutors say the case highlights how the fentanyl epidemic now reaches into unexpected corners of American society.
Federal authorities arrested Daniel Taylor, 50, a one-time assistant professor in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech, in connection with a multi-person fentanyl distribution conspiracy. Taylor was charged on Feb. 18, 2026, with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a potential 20-year federal prison sentence if convicted. Taylor has since been removed from his university position.
Investigators allege the scheme involved at least two other individuals who helped transport and sell fentanyl linked to at least one suspected overdose. Authorities recovered two different types of fentanyl powder — known on the street as “Pink Flamingo” and “Ghost” — tied to the group’s activities.
Surveillance and search warrants led law enforcement to observe alleged associates moving suspected fentanyl between vehicles. Deputies later found a person in medical distress during one stop, and another associate was pulled over with suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine in her car. At Taylor’s residence, agents uncovered quantities of suspected fentanyl and drug packaging materials.
All defendants appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Lubbock and remain in federal custody as the case proceeds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas emphasized that this investigation exposed a broader distribution supply chain, not a simple possession matter.
The case underscores the ongoing fentanyl crisis gripping the nation, where law enforcement and federal prosecutors continue targeting suppliers at all levels.
