RENO, Nev. (KTNV) — The United States Department of Justice said that a 36-year-old man from Nevada was convicted by a jury for distributing fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a deadly synthetic opioid as written by the DOJ.
The 36-year-old was identified as Jaime Collazo Munoz, also known as "Chivo." After a five day trial, Munoz was found guilty on two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du presided over the jury trial and scheduled sentencing for December 16, 2022. Munoz faces a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison. Each count of conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, from July to November 2020, Munoz distributed at least 80 grams of fentanyl in exchange for over $10,000. Munoz distributed the fentanyl pills out of Stay Faded Barbershop in Sparks, Nevada.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the DEA, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Service, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, and Regional Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andolyn Johnson and Andrew Keenan are prosecuting the case.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine: only a few milligrams of this chemical compound, equivalent to a few grains of table salt, are enough to cause a fatal overdose.
If you have information of a potential violation of controlled substances laws and regulations, including the growing, manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances, please contact the DEA at dea.gov.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at justice.gov.