Federal complaint alleges Texas Tech assistant professor Daniel Taylor conspired to distribute fentanyl known as “Pink Flamingo” and “Ghost”

Lubbock, Texas – A Texas Tech University professor and two Lubbock residents are facing federal charges after authorities alleged they were involved in a fentanyl trafficking operation that stretched across several months.

United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that Daniel Taylor, 50, an assistant professor of marketing and supply chain management at Texas Tech’s Rawls College of Business, was charged by federal complaint on February 18, 2026, with conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Also charged are Alisha Red-Eagle, 21, and Mackenzie Gilcrease, 28, both of Lubbock.

According to the complaint, investigators allege Taylor distributed two forms of fentanyl powder referred to as “Pink Flamingo” and “Ghost.” Authorities say he had been under investigation for several months before the charges were filed.

One incident cited in the complaint occurred on January 12, 2026. Law enforcement agents observed Red-Eagle enter and exit Taylor’s vehicle at a convenience store in Lubbock before getting into a white SUV that drove away. A Lubbock County Sheriff’s deputy later stopped the SUV for a traffic violation. During the stop, occupants told deputies that a man in the back seat was overdosing on suspected fentanyl allegedly supplied by Red-Eagle. Narcan was administered, and emergency medical services responded. A search of the SUV led to the discovery of five fentanyl pills, a baggie containing fentanyl, foil wrappers with fentanyl residue, and a pink baggie containing fentanyl powder.

Raybould said the allegations reflect a serious breach of trust, adding that his office will prosecute drug trafficking cases regardless of a defendant’s profession. He also noted that, in at least one instance, the fentanyl allegedly distributed through the conspiracy resulted in an overdose.

The complaint further details events on February 17, 2026, when agents observed Gilcrease meet Taylor at his residence. After Gilcrease left in a pickup truck, a deputy conducted a traffic stop. A K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics, and a search of the vehicle uncovered three pink plastic baggies of fentanyl inside a pink envelope bearing a flamingo graphic, along with a baggie containing methamphetamine.

Just after midnight on February 18, agents executed a search warrant at Taylor’s home. Authorities reported finding white powder and a crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, as well as pink envelopes, baggies with flamingo stickers, and baggies marked with a ghost graphic.

All three defendants made their initial appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge in Lubbock and remain in federal custody. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison.