Jaylin Arnold indicted on federal drug trafficking charges

Jaylin Arnold, the man being chased by Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera when she was fatally shot by her partner in June 2025, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges. The indictment alleges that Arnold conspired with four other men to distribute fentanyl and cocaine from an apartment building in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood between January and June 2025.

According to federal records, the group allegedly used business cards for ‘Nova’s Exotic Beverages’ to advertise their narcotics. The crew is accused of storing drugs, cash, and firearms—including machine gun conversion devices—at a nearby stash house.

Arnold previously pleaded guilty to gun and drug charges related to the incident that led to Rivera’s death and received an eight-year prison sentence. The fatal shooting occurred when Officer Carlos Baker, Rivera’s partner, accidentally discharged his weapon during a pursuit of Arnold. Rivera’s mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baker and the Chicago Police Department, alleging the shooting was linked to a personal relationship between Baker and Rivera.