Woodland man indicted in fentanyl overdose death; two Sacramento men also charged
A federal grand jury has indicted a 20-year-old Woodland man accused of distributing fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid, that resulted in an overdose death a few months ago, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento announced Monday.
Joshua Cabanillas faces charges of distributing fentanyl resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute and possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute, distributing fentanyl and distributing a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, according to the indictment filed July 9 in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.
Federal prosecutors have charged Gregory Tabarez, 22, and Joseph Elijah Cuaron, 20, both of Sacramento, with distributing fentanyl alongside Cabanillas. The prosecutors formally charged Tabarez and Cuaron in a filed criminal complaint.
The indictment against Cabanillas indicates that he distributed a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on Feb. 26 in Yolo County. The following day, a person identified in the indictment as M.T. died after using the fentanyl.
Cabanillas also is accused of distributing fentanyl on two separate dates after the overdose death.
The criminal complaint alleges that Cabanillas was arrested May 15, after meeting with Tabarez and Cuaron to distribute 1,000 counterfeit blue “M30” pills containing fentanyl, prosecutors said.
The counterfeit pills were designed to look like authentic oxycodone hydrochloride 30 mg pills that could be obtained at a pharmacy, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said the counterfeit pills are pressed illicitly and contain fentanyl, unlike authentic pharmaceutical drugs.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 70,000 people in the United States died of drug overdoses in 2019, according to the news release. Prosecutors said many of these deaths are attributed to the increased abuse of potent synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl.
Cabanillas, Tabarez and Cuaron were in custody Monday afternoon, according to prosecutors. They said Cabanillas, if convicted, could face a minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in death charge.
If convicted, Cabanillas, Tabarez and Cuaron could each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy or distribution charges, prosecutors said.
