“Fentanyl takes lives and leaves families struggling with grief for years to come. It is important that we hold accountable those who sell fentanyl that results in fatal overdoses.”
CSLEA President Alan Barcelona
SAN DIEGO – On February 28, 2025, Marcus Ray Chavez, 30, of Bonita, was sentenced in federal court to 262 months in prison for providing the fentanyl pills that resulted in the fatal overdose of a 15-year-old girl in 2022.
According to court documents, on at least four occasions between September and November 2022, Chavez provided the teen with “M30” pills he knew were counterfeit and contained fentanyl, in exchange for sex with the girl. Chavez also admitted to knowing the girl was underage. On November 12, 2022, she fatally overdosed from pills that Chavez provided.
According to the government’s sentencing memo, the victim was in the ninth grade at the time of her death. Family and friends described her as an energetic girl who “brightened any room she entered” and who hoped to one day own her own hair salon.
“Any loss of life is tragic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “The loss of a child is particularly devastating. While nothing can bring this lost child back, we are committed to holding this dealer and others like him accountable.”
Fentanyl remains a serious threat. The latest DEA laboratory testing, announced last fall, indicated that five out of 10 pills tested contained a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl.
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
- Sex Trafficking of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1591(a)(1), (b)(2)
- Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $250,000 fine
- Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a), 841(b)(1)(C)
- Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $1 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
- Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10)
- San Diego Police Department
- San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
- Homeland Security Investigations
- La Mesa Police Department
- National Guard Counterdrug Task Force
- California Department of Health Care Services
