NASHVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A Clarksville man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison today for selling fentanyl while on bond with a state murder charge.
Mark Austin “Bubba Rachi” Ellis, 30, was convicted in May 2023 after a jury trial for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, sale of fentanyl, and related charges, according to a news release from Henry C. Leventis, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Evidence at trial showed that in January 2022, while on bond for a first-degree murder indictment, Ellis sold a fentanyl mixture to a confidential informant working at the direction of law enforcement; and that Ellis possessed a 9mm pistol during this drug deal. A search warrant was later executed at the home of one of Ellis’ family members in Clarksville where officers seized a pound of fentanyl, the release said.
At trial, the prosecution played a recording between Ellis and his co-conspirator, Yennifer Angeles, made while Ellis was in jail after his arrest. In the recording, Ellis and Angeles made plans to continue drug trafficking activities even while Ellis remained incarcerated. Angeles pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced in August 2023.
On Friday, Ellis was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.
“Fentanyl continues to poison countless people throughout Middle Tennessee,” Leventis said. “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.”
Previous charges
Ellis was previously indicted in Clarksville on a murder charge, and that case remains pending in state criminal court.
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Ellis was charged in the shooting at Waffle House on Fort Campbell Boulevard on Jan. 23 that left three with gunshot wounds and several others injured. At the time, Ellis was out on bond for murder charges stemming from the 2018 death of 22-year-old Taren Lyles, who was shot while her two young children were strapped in their car seats.
The fentanyl case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clarksville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire prosecuted the case.