Man accused of bringing kilos of fentanyl by plane to Atlanta Airport briefly out on bond

U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg announced an appeal has been won to keep fentanyl suspect Larry Phillips detained until his case is resolved, while a legal battle continues over the release of his co-defendant, Rashad Davis.

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Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne learned Phillips was initially released on an unsecured bond after officials said he was caught with approximately six kilos of fentanyl in his checked luggage on a flight from Phoenix to Atlanta.

The amount of fentanyl, according to Hertzberg, was enough to potentially kill millions of people.

A higher court judge has now ordered Phillips back into custody.

“The quantity of drugs that defendant allegedly intended to distribute had the potential to kill a vast number of people,” stated U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee in his order.

Phillips’ attorney said he will enter a plea of not guilty at arraignment.

Law enforcement officials said Davis was apprehended in Phoenix with eight kilos of fentanyl and xylazine, known on the street as “tranq.”

Despite the serious charges, a magistrate judge granted Davis bond with conditions of home detention and location monitoring.

Prosecutors have appealed the decision to grant Davis bond, citing his previous conviction for aggravated assault in 2017. Davis’s attorney, Emily Strongwater, argues that his past conviction occurred nearly a decade ago and that he has since maintained a clean record aside from a misdemeanor arrest.

Hertzberg emphasized the danger of the drugs involved, noting that Davis’s suitcase also contained the synthetic opioid carfentanil, described as “one of the deadliest things out there.”

The outcome of the appeal regarding Davis’s bond remains pending.

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