El Paso man sentenced to 20 years for selling fentanyl that caused overdose
- Police: Man from El Paso sold counterfeit fentanyl pill in January
- Pill caused someone to overdose but they were revived with naloxone
- El Paso County saw 69 fatal overdoses linked to fentanyl last year
FILE – This photo provided by the U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah and introduced as evidence in a 2019 trial shows fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills collected during an investigation. (U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah via AP)
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(NewsNation) — A man from El Paso, Texas was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in federal prison after police say he sold a counterfeit pill containing fentanyl that caused someone to overdose.
Patrick Harley Chaires, 28, sold the pill on Jan. 10, according to court documents.
The Department of Justice said in a news release that the person who consumed the pill overdosed from fentanyl poisoning and was then revived with Naloxone.
A criminal complaint obtained by the El Paso Times shows that sheriff’s deputies arrested Chaires on traffic warrants after pulling over a vehicle for an expired registration on Jan. 25.
In his interview by a DEA agent and a deputy on the DEA task force, Chaires admitted to selling “M30” fentanyl pills to the victim, The El Paso Times reports. According to the newspaper, Chaires said the victim had only given him $3 for the pills. He told police he typically sold the fentanyl pills for $5 per pill, as well as other drugs, to “get by and earn money,” per the complaint.
Chaires was sentenced on Thursday as part of a plea agreement, The El Paso Times wrote. He pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury.
The El Paso Times writes that there were 69 fatal overdoses linked to fentanyl in the county last year. Of these overdoses, 15 were caused by straight fentanyl, while the others were from fentanyl mixed with cocaine, methamphetamine or heroin.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn.
“The victim in this case is incredibly fortunate that they were able to receive the necessary medical care following their overdose,” U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Jaime Esparza said in a statement. “Everyone must be aware of, and take seriously, the dangers of fentanyl and its abundant presence in counterfeit pills being sold on the streets and through social media. As long as fentanyl distribution persists, we will continue to heavily prosecute those responsible for poisoning our communities.”