San Francisco woman Candelaria Vazquez, 42, was sentenced in absentia to 151 months in federal prison for her role in manufacturing and distributing counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, marks a sharp blow to a deadly underground drug operation that flooded online marketplaces with lethal fake prescription pills.
Vazquez, who pleaded guilty on November 8, 2016, admitted to running a pill press operation with her husband out of San Francisco for two years. The pair produced thousands of counterfeit oxycodone tablets stamped to mimic legitimate pharmaceuticals—but packed with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Vazquez personally packaged, mailed, and delivered the pills until their arrest on June 10, 2016.
Federal prosecutors say the pills were marketed and sold through dark web marketplaces, with payments collected in bitcoin. Vazquez also conspired to launder drug proceeds using unlicensed cryptocurrency brokers to convert digital cash into physical currency. The scheme left a digital trail that federal investigators followed to dismantle the network.
On June 21, 2016, a federal grand jury indicted Vazquez on charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). She later pleaded guilty to one count of fentanyl distribution conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). By April 2017, she fled custody and remains a fugitive.
“Fentanyl is a potent drug that can be deadly for users,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alex Tse. “Today’s sentence is just and reflects the grave danger when, as in this case, fentanyl was used as an ingredient in counterfeit prescription medicines.” Authorities warn that just two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal—making the unregulated dosage in homemade pills a ticking time bomb for users.
In addition to the 151-month prison term, Judge Illston sentenced Vazquez to three years of supervised release, to begin upon her apprehension. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita Lin with support from Amanda Martinez, Rawaty Yim, and Theresa Benitez, following a joint investigation by the DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the IRS under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Related Federal Cases
- Sandoval Brothers Sentenced in Fentanyl-Heroin Scheme · Florida
- San Joaquin Doctor Kemprud Convicted in Opioid Pill Mill Scheme · California
- Jose Antonio Nunez De Jesus Charged in Fentanyl Pill Bust · Oregon
- Hanover Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl, Cocaine Mail Scheme · Maryland
- Bloomington Man Gets 70 Months for Fentanyl Mail Scheme · Indiana
Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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