Alexandro Luis Gomez, 30, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on September 28, 2022, by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 17 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Gomez previously pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance connected to the overdose death of a young man in December 2019. The Court also ordered Gomez to pay $12,727 in restitution to the decedent’s family as compensation for expenses related to the young man’s funeral and burial .

In December 2019, Gomez sold the decedent six pills containing fentanyl for $90, which caused the decedent to overdose and die from fentanyl toxicity.

As part of the law enforcement investigation into Gomez, agents witnessed him selling drugs to two other customers. When Gomez was arrested, he had 462 fentanyl pills and a handgun inside his vehicle. During a search of his residence, agents found drugs of various types, four additional firearms, multiple cellular telephones, and $10,625 in drug proceeds.

“Drug dealers are responsible for the consequences when young Americans die from the poison they sell,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino.  “This lengthy sentence for a $90 sale of six pills should serve both as a deterrent to other traffickers and as an homage to the victim’s family as they mourn his unexpected death.”

The Oro Valley Police Department, the Tucson Police Department, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Forsyth handled the prosecution.