Drug dealer busted near Colorado State Capitol after undercover police officer offered 'dope'
A Denver man was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison Friday after an undercover police officer was approached near the Colorado State Capitol and offered "dope" and "blues."
Derris Mayberry, 37, received a 110-month sentence following two guilty verdicts in two separate federal trials. The juries convicted Mayberry of distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm. Mayberry, having previously served time in the Colorado Department of Corrections for robbery and drug convictions, was not legally permitted to have a gun.
Mayberry, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado that prosecuted his cases, was arrested after the exchanging $20 for "blues," an informal code name for fentanyl pills, with the undercover officer. The deal took place the evening of March 22, 2024, in an alley near the Colorado State Capitol.
The deal was set up by a female friend of Mayberry's. The undercover officer was conducting surveillance when the female friend made the offer and lead the undercover officer into the alley to meet Mayberry.
Several officers arrested Mayberry at a nearby bus stop minutes after the exchange in the alley. A loaded .22 caliber revolver was found in his shorts pocket. More fentanyl pills were also found during his pat down.
Audio of the drug deal's negotiation was recorded by a device worn by the undercover officer, according to prosecutors. The hand-to-hand exchange was also witnessed by several officers prior to their taking Mayberry into custody.
"What began as great, proactive police work ended with an armed dealer of dangerous narcotics being sentenced to prison to a lengthy term," stated Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas in the DOJ's press release. "The Denver Police Department, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and U.S. Attorney's Office, remain committed to stopping the availability of dangerous drugs in Denver."
Friday's federal sentence is the longest yet given to Mayberry. His earlier state sentences were for two-, five- and six-year terms.
