Juan Pedro Alapisco-Ochoa, Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking, Minnesota 2023

A 52-year-old Eveleth man has been handed a 10-year sentence in prison after being caught up in a fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking case, authorities announced.

According to court documents, Juan Pedro Alapisco-Ochoa knowingly conspired with co-conspirators to acquire fentanyl with the intention of distributing it between January 1, 2023, and March 9, 2023.

Law enforcement conducted a controlled buy on January 7, 2023, and purchased over 1,000 fentanyl pills from Alapisco-Ochoa and his co-conspirators. In a separate investigation, postal inspectors stopped a shipment containing 481 grams of methamphetamine, which was addressed to the defendant's apartment.

Following a controlled delivery, agents seized 11 grams of methamphetamine, 170 blue fentanyl pills, and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia from Alapisco-Ochoa's apartment.

Alapisco-Ochoa pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023, to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on April 24, 2024, by Judge Michael J. Davis in U.S. District Court.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Lake Superior Violent Crime Drug Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.

The charges against Alapisco-Ochoa were possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, a serious offense that warrants severe penalties. His lengthy prison sentence serves as a warning to those involved in such illicit activities.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/eveleth-felon-sentenced-10-years-drug-trafficking-case