Las Vegas man sentenced to 10 years in prison for fentanyl trafficking conspiracy

A Las Vegas man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for his connection to a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy and possessing a firearm during a drug sale, federal officials said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada said in a release that James Brooks possessed a 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a high-capacity magazine and paid cash to an individual for approximately 2,000 pills, according to court documents. Brooks conspired with co-defendant Geronimo Gutierrez to distribute the pills, containing fentanyl, the release said.

“Every drug trafficker operates with a single, ruthless purpose—profiting from human suffering,” Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office said. “Alongside our partners, the FBI will continue dismantling their networks, erase their poison from our streets, and ensure every single participant faces justice behind bars.”

Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, the release said, adding that just two milligrams, about the size of a few grains fo salt, can be lethal.

Brooks pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Gutierrez also pleaded guilty to the trafficking conspiracy charge and also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to money launder. He was sentenced to 97 months in prison on Jan. 12.

“Fentanyl is tearing apart families and poisoning our communities at an alarming rate. This sentence sends a clear and unwavering message to drug traffickers: if you flood our streets with lethal chemicals for profit, you will be caught, and you will face severe consequences in federal prison,” First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada said of Brooks’ sentencing. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to disrupt these deadly networks and protect the people of Las Vegas.”