Alexander Ortiz, Fentanyl Trafficking, Virginia 2023

ABINGDON, VA – A California man is headed to federal prison for 17 years after supplying the deadly fentanyl that triggered a wave of overdoses in Wise County, Virginia. Alexander Ortiz, 26, of Fullerton, California, known online as “LoLife,” received the sentence yesterday after pleading guilty in January 2023 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

The investigation revealed Ortiz and his network – Jorge Efrain Perez and Destiny Raeann Perez – were the upstream suppliers for local dealers like Paul Mason Perkins, Aaron Stidham, Austin Jeremiah Lane, and Cheyenne Cassie Carico. Between November 2020 and June 2022, Ortiz pumped thousands of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl into Southwest Virginia. He routinely shipped 1,000-pill packages to Perkins in Big Stone Gap via Snapchat and Instagram, conducting business every few weeks.

The deadly consequences came to light on November 24, 2021. Perkins sold three fentanyl-laced pills to Lane and Carico, who then passed two of them to a 17-year-old girl. That same night, she overdosed and required hospitalization. Hours later, an 18-year-old male, also supplied by Perkins with Ortiz’s pills, suffered a similar fate. Investigators quickly traced the source of both overdoses back to Ortiz.

Federal agents raided Ortiz’s residences in Los Banos and Santa Ana, California, uncovering a significant cache: over 6,000 fentanyl pills, approximately $60,000 in cash, and a staggering 13 firearms. The operation showcased the scale of Ortiz’s illicit enterprise, extending far beyond Wise County, with packages shipped to locations across the country.

“This sentence sends a clear message,” stated U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh. “Those who traffic in fentanyl, poisoning our communities and endangering lives, will be held accountable.” Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Atlanta Division, joined in the announcement.

The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Police Department, Southwest Drug Task Force, and multiple California law enforcement agencies, including the Orange, Stanislaus, Santa Ana, and Anaheim Police Departments, as well as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher is prosecuting the case. The case underscores the relentless flow of fentanyl from across the country into vulnerable communities, and the dangers posed by online drug trafficking.

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