Life Sentence for Omaha Man Convicted of Selling Fentanyl Resulting in the Death of a Four-Year-Old
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Michael Reis, 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 25, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, for distributing fentanyl that resulted in death and for sex trafficking of a minor. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Reis to life imprisonment, on both charges, to be run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Reis’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On March 12, 2022, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the Aspen Grove apartment complex for an unresponsive four-year-old. Upon arrival, deputies began CPR until an ambulance could take the child to Children’s Hospital and Medical Center. The child was later pronounced dead due to fentanyl toxicity. The investigation was led by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Task Force Group 3. TFG3 consists of DEA special agents and local law enforcement officers that specialize in drug overdose investigations. The investigation found that Reis was a fentanyl pill dealer, and that on March 12, 2022, Reis went to Aspen Grove and sold Paris Hunt a fentanyl pill. This pill later wound up in the hands of the Hunt’s son. When Reis was arrested on the federal warrant, he talked with TFG3 investigators and denied responsibility, stating that “he didn’t want to sell it to her and that she begged me” for the pill. However, investigators were able to determine that Reis had sold pills on at least 35 other occasions to Paris Hunt. Reis also acknowledged the risks of selling pills containing fentanyl, telling investigators that he himself had overdosed and that he personally knew someone that died from an overdose.
“Today’s sentencing will not bring back the smiling four-year-old child who ingested a fake pill left lying on a table,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “But, Michael Reis will spend the rest of his life in prison, knowing that a pill he sold caused a beautiful soul to leave this earth and a community to grieve. Let this story serve as a tragic reminder that fentanyl in any form is deadly and no one is immune to this substance.”
A life sentence for distributing fentanyl resulting in death is the first in the District of Nebraska.
The sex trafficking of a minor conviction resulted from an investigation by the Omaha Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. In July 2022, investigators met with a runaway that had been found. This 15-year-old told investigators that she met “Menace Primes” on Facebook and that she was eventually sold for sex. After an “interview,” which consisted of sending nude photos, the 15-year-old was later advertised on commercial sex websites. Investigators were able to determine that Menace Primes was Reis. Reis’s phone was seized as part of the overdose investigation, and investigators found that Reis self-described himself as a pimp. Evidence of Reis’s sex trafficking of the 15-year-old was found on the phone as he “shopped her around.” The 15-year-old would beg Reis for money to buy food, which Reis refused telling her that she didn’t “work” enough.
After being arrested on the federal warrant for the sex trafficking charge, Reis agreed to speak with investigators. Reis told investigators he looked for vulnerable women because he knew they were desperate. He would have sex with them and have them call him daddy to establish an emotional bond. “I want you to feel like I’m daddy, I want you to feel like I’m who matters…listen, if I don’t matter than how am I going to be able to get what I need from [them]. It was just easy money for me. I want them to console in me, trust me, and soon as I get what I need I’m gone.” Reis admitted that after the last time he sold the 15-year-old for $500, he took all of the money and left, never talking to her again.
“For years, Reis exploited those weaker and more vulnerable than him, perpetuating a cycle of abuse that devastated countless lives. Today, that cycle ends,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito. “The successful partnership between HSI and the Omaha Police Department was critical in uncovering Reis’s horrific crimes and delivering justice. This sentencing serves as a stern warning to those who seek to exploit the vulnerable: HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting traffickers to ensure they face the full force of the law.”
On September 5, 2024, Reis pled guilty to sex trafficking of a minor. On October 9, 2024, a jury found Reis guilty of selling the fentanyl that resulted in the death of the 4-year-old boy.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Molsen said, “Today’s sentence sends a strong message to perpetrators of both crimes. Those who distribute drugs, such as fentanyl, know the danger those drugs pose to users. And when a user overdoses, the drug distributors should know their actions will face significant punishment. Additionally, those who promote prostitution involving minors should also know they too will face significant punishment for their actions. “
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.
