El Paso man sentenced to 20 years in prison for selling fentanyl-laced pill
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A federal court sentenced 28-year-old El Pasoan Patrick Harley Chaires to 20 years in prison this week for selling a counterfeit M-30 pill containing fentanyl. Court officials say that the January 10, 2023 sale caused the customer to overdose. The customer was revived with Naloxone.
According to court documents, Chaires sold the buyer just one pill for $3.
Officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Chaires on January 25.
“The victim in this case is incredibly fortunate that they were able to receive the necessary medical care following their overdose,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas said. “Everyone must be aware of, and take seriously, the dangers of fentanyl and its abundant presence in counterfeit pills being sold on the streets and through social media. As long as fentanyl distribution persists, we will continue to heavily prosecute those responsible for poisoning our communities.”
Investigators with the DEA El Paso's Fentanyl Overdose Response Team worked on this case. That includes people from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Army Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Army National Guard, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso County Sheriff's Department, and El Paso Police Department.
