Peoria woman sentenced to 12 years for distributing fentanyl resulting in the death of a man
PHOENIX – The DEA announces the sentencing of Fany Madrigal-Lopez, 45, to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release, following a hearing in federal court yesterday. Madrigal-Lopez previously pleaded guilty in April 2018, to two federal drug charges, including the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
The DEA investigation into Madrigal-Lopez began in February 2017, when agents assigned to the Phoenix Field Division Heroin Enforcement Action Team received information from the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner regarding the overdose death of a 38 year old man. The Medical Examiner attributed the death of the male to the consumption of fentanyl. Through the subsequent investigation, the DEA determined that Madrigal-Lopez had obtained Mexican-made fentanyl pills, designed to resemble oxycodone, and then sold them to customers. On November 16, 2016, Madrigal-Lopez sold the fentanyl pills to a male who later died from fentanyl intoxication after consuming them.
“While the nation is in the midst of an opioid epidemic, the DEA has expanded its scope to not only target the largest drug traffickers in the world, but to assist agencies throughout the state in combating the local fentanyl epidemic wreaking havoc on Arizona communities,” said Doug Coleman, Special Agent in Charge of DEA in Arizona. “This first-of-its-kind sentencing in Arizona illustrates DEA’s commitment to local partnerships through our Heroin Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) and using all resources available to us to protect American citizens from the scourge of fentanyl trafficking.”
The sentencing was delivered by the Honorable Douglas Rayes, United States District Judge. The investigation was conducted by the DEA, Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, and Peoria Police Department, with assistance provided by the Salt River Police Department and Internal Revenue Service. This investigation was prosecuted by Carolina Escalante Konti, D.J. Pashayan, and Jeffrey Borup, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona.
