California Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl into Virginia
ABINGDON, Va. – A Buena Park, California man, Robert Contreras, 24, a.k.a. “Quill,” has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for his role in trafficking fentanyl into Virginia.
Contreras, who supplied as many as 30,000 pressed fentanyl pills a week to individuals who then shipped the pills into Southwest Virginia, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In addition to his prison term, Contreras was ordered to forfeit five firearms and $31,294 in cash. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh stated, “Fentanyl, especially in the form of pressed pills, is taking its toll on America, and Virginia is no exception. This case, involving the collaboration of law enforcement agencies across the country, is a prime example of the proactive measures undertaken by this Department of Justice to combat the burgeoning pressed pill epidemic currently plaguing our nation.”
According to court documents, between 2020 and 2023, Contreras sold between 10,000 and 30,000 pressed fentanyl pills at a time to co-conspirator Marco Orozco at least once a week. At the height of the conspiracy in late 2021 and early 2022, Contreras sold Orozco 10,000 pressed fentanyl pills multiple times per week. The pills were then shipped from California to Southwest Virginia and other locations across the country for further distribution.
The investigation into Contreras’ fentanyl trafficking operation was a joint effort between the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, the Orange County (CA) Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Ana (CA) Police Department, the Anaheim (CA) Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
On March 6, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Contreras’ residence in California. At that time, officers recovered 1,639 pressed fentanyl pills, $31,294 in cash, and five firearms without serial numbers, in addition to approximately 7,000 alprazolam pills, 3,000 Adderall pills, 242 grams of cocaine, and other hallucinogenic narcotics.
This case serves as a prime example of the Department of Justice’s commitment to combating the growing fentanyl crisis in the United States. The 18-year sentence handed down to Contreras is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement agencies across the country who work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.
Robert Contreras, 24, of Buena Park, California, sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl into Virginia.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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