AUSTIN – Last week, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel sentenced Eri Gutberto Parra-Lopez, 25, of Phoenix, AZ, to 72 months in prison for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents, between May 2021 and July 2021, Parra, a then active-duty Army Sergeant stationed at Fort Hood, sold approximately 3,150 tablets of fentanyl, weighing about 3,349 kgs., to undercover officers in and around the Austin area. On April 20, 2022, Parra pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl.
“Fentanyl is flooding the United States at an alarming rate and our communities in Central Texas are not immune from its devastation,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “This case underscores our resolve to address the dangerous trafficking of fentanyl with all available resources. We will continue to prioritize and prosecute crimes involving this deadly poison and we are thankful for the outstanding work of our local, state, and federal partners.”
“This case demonstrates the lengths Mexican cartels are willing to go to infiltrate our communities with deadly fentanyl for their own selfish gains,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division. “We remain committed to our collaborative efforts with our local partners to reverse the overdose and poisoning epidemic and bring to justice those fueling it.”
“This sentencing is the result of the great teamwork we have with our local, federal and state law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Maria Thomas of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID). “Army CID and our partner agencies take the threat of fentanyl to the public, and the Army, very seriously. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to interdict the distribution of fentanyl wherever it may occur.”
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