EVANSVILLE — A major narcotics investigation has culminated in the arrest of an Evansville man and the seizure of nearly 50 pounds of crystal methamphetamine.
David Neighbors, 42, was taken into federal custody on Monday, February 9, 2026, following a joint operation by the Evansville Police Department, the DEA Evansville Resident Office, and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force.
Authorities began tracking Neighbors following allegations that he was a key figure in the distribution of bulk quantities of methamphetamine throughout the Tri-State area.
After several days of surveillance, investigators executed a federal search warrant at a local residence. During the search, detectives recovered more than 47 pounds of methamphetamine. Photos released by the Evansville Police Department showed multiple large, heat-sealed bags of the crystal substance stacked inside the property.
Neighbors is a familiar name to federal law enforcement. In 2008, he was identified as the leader of a significant crack cocaine trafficking organization in Evansville. In that case, he was sentenced to life in prison; however, following successful appeals or changes in federal sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine offenses, he was eventually released, only to be rearrested in this latest meth-trafficking probe.
Neighbors now faces a primary federal charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Due to the extreme quantity involved—well over the 500-gram threshold for enhanced penalties—he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in federal prison if convicted.
The 47-pound haul represents one of the largest single-suspect methamphetamine seizures in Vanderburgh County this year. Law enforcement officials noted that a quantity of this size suggests a direct pipeline from major cartels into the Southern Indiana region.
“Removing 47 pounds of this poison from our streets is a significant win for public safety. This investigation stops a massive amount of addiction and potential violence before it can reach our neighborhoods,” said the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force.
Neighbors remains in federal custody pending his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
