Billy Ortega, Fentanyl Trafficking, New York 2021

Billy Ortega, a 35-year-old resident of West Milford, New Jersey, has been convicted of leading a narcotics delivery service that distributed fentanyl-laced cocaine in the New York City area. On March 17, 2021, Ortega’s service delivered the deadly drugs to three young professionals: Julia Ghahramani, Amanda Scher, and Ross Mtangi, all of whom died after consuming the fentanyl.

According to the allegations in the Indictment and the evidence presented at trial, Ortega used his mother’s apartment in Manhattan as his stash house, employing family members and close friends to manage his drugs and cash and to deliver his drugs to customers. He also supplied the guns that were kept at the stash house to protect his drug business.

On the day of the three poisonings, Ortega received a text message from a different customer warning him that his drugs had almost killed someone else. Specifically, at approximately 2:29 p.m. on March 17, 2021, the customer sent Ortega the following text message: “Hey man. Just on a follow up from yesterday – I gave most of my last bag to my buddy and he just called me this second to say he ended up in hospital last night. [. . .] He had to get a Narcan shot and was released in the early hours.”

Despite receiving this warning, Ortega continued to distribute the fentanyl-laced cocaine, leading to the deaths of the three victims. Later that night, Ortega offered the fentanyl-tainted batch of cocaine to another drug dealer so he could test it out on “some girls.”

“Billy Ortega ran a drug delivery service that delivered fentanyl, killing three victims on a single day. Worse yet, Ortega was fully aware that a customer had previously overdosed from the deadly fentanyl Ortega laced into his product, yet continued sending the drugs to his victims,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “This case exemplifies that the national fentanyl epidemic continues to claim lives and inflict havoc on families from all walks of life.”

Ortega was convicted of one count of narcotics conspiracy resulting in death, three counts of narcotics distribution resulting in death, and one count of use and carrying of a firearm in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Billy Ortega, 35, of West Milford, New Jersey, was convicted in Manhattan federal court of the above charges. Ortega will now face the consequences of his actions and serve the mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.

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