(NewsNation) — A California man who called himself the “M30 King of Fresno” pleaded guilty to charges that he sold fentanyl and methamphetamine, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Court documents show that authorities began investigating after a series of fentanyl pill overdoses in the Fresno area. Four of those overdoses were from teenagers, and one of those four overdoses happened on a campus during school hours, The Fresno Bee reported.
These overdoses, the DOJ said, were caused by counterfeit oxycodone M30 tablets containing fentanyl, often called M30s.
According to the DOJ, Horacio Torrecillas Urias Jr., 23, was getting tens of thousands of counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills and large quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine, and methamphetamine from sources in Mexico. Torrecillas Urias would then distribute the drugs to dealers in America.
In its investigation, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies conducted traffic stops, intercepted packages, and executed residential search warrants. Items they recovered during the probe included over 55,000 counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills, 6 pounds of fentanyl powder, 10 pounds of methamphetamine, 1 pound of cocaine, 25 firearms, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Over a dozen other defendants have been charged through the investigation, and all 17, except for one, Alma Garza, have now pleaded guilty. Garza’s trial is set for Sept. 24.
Torrecillas Urias’ sentencing, meanwhile, is set for Dec. 2, 2024. The DOJ says he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.