October 11, 2022 - FRESNO, Calif. — Maria Garcia, 27, of Fresno, was sentenced today to 12.5 years in prison for conspiring to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between October and December 2020, Garcia was incarcerated at the Fresno County Jail awaiting trial on a state offense. While in custody, he used the jail’s telephones to discuss with his brother, Isaiah Garcia (who was not incarcerated) a plan for Isaiah Garcia to sell fentanyl pills. During the calls, Mario Garcia advised his brother on how to store and deal his fentanyl pills and referred customers to him. In December 2020, law enforcement officers searched Isaiah Garcia’s residence and found over 1,000 fentanyl pills. Isaiah Garcia had been charged, has pleaded guilty, and is sent for sentencing on Oct. 31, 2022.

The case is the result of an investigation by the FORT (a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department) and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

Source: DOJ Release