El Paso Man to Spend 15 Years in Federal Prison for Dealing Deadly Fentanyl
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 15 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl, causing death.
According to court documents, Michael Joseph Cuccaro, 22, sold counterfeit M-30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to a purchaser on Dec. 11, 2022. The purchaser consumed the pills and died from fentanyl poisoning.
A federal grand jury in El Paso indicted Cuccaro Sept. 6, 2023, in a two-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance causing death or serious bodily injury. Cuccaro was subsequently arrested on a bench warrant. He pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance causing death on April 24, 2024.
DEA El Paso Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James and U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Countryman prosecuted the case.
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