Last week, Francisco Pantoja, 25, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Pantoja pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl in connection with the overdose death of a young person in July 2020.

On the afternoon of July 1, 2020, Pantoja provided three pills to the victim. Approximately three hours later, the victim was discovered unresponsive. The Pima County Medical Examiner concluded that the cause of death was fentanyl intoxication. During the investigation, agents executed a search warrant at Pantoja’s residence where they located over 5,500 fentanyl pills and approximately $21,000 in cash.

The Drug Enforcement Administration recently announced, as part of its One Pill Can Kill public service campaign, that six out of every 10 fentanyl-laced pills tested in 2022 contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

The DEA and the Tucson Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Garvey and Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.