A Phoenix man was sentenced to 70 months in prison after attempting to sell fentanyl at the Arizona Mills Mall.
Steve Lugo Leon, 24, of Phoenix, was sentenced by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 70 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in the attempted fentanyl sale.
Leon pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl, according to a recent DOJ press release.
The incident occurred on September 15, 2021, when Leon and his co-defendant, Rafael Ivan Valenzuela Chairez, arranged to sell fentanyl pills and methamphetamine at the Arizona Mills mall in Tempe, Arizona.
Gila River Police Department officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the mall parking lot, but Leon, the driver of a Ford F-150, attempted to flee the scene.
He collided with a third-party vehicle, causing it to turn on its side. Chairez, the front-seat passenger, attempted to flee on foot and was apprehended by officers. Leon continued to drive until he crashed the truck into a light pole.
Agents located 12.83 kilograms of methamphetamine and 946 grams of fentanyl pills in the truck bed.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case with assistance from the Gila River Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
Leon’s co-defendant, Rafael Ivan Valenzuela Chairez, 20, of Phoenix, Arizona, was also sentenced on the same day by Judge Snow to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the attempted sale.
Related Federal Cases
- Veronica Dittman, Fentanyl Distribution, Arizona 2023 · Arizona
- Glen Adam Romero, Jr., Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Arizona 2023 · Washington
- Leon Henderson Sentenced to 20 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking, Seat… · Arkansas
- Arizona Man Sentenced to 10.5 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking · Idaho
- Francisco Nicolas Orozco-Montijo, Fentanyl Importation, Arizona 2024 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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