PHOENIX — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
A Phoenix man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after he sold fentanyl pills to a young woman who later died from an overdose.
Reyes Luis Holguin, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court to distributing fentanyl to a young mother who died in 2019.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona, the victim sent Holguin messages online about purchasing three "blues," a common name for fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. After consuming the pills, the woman overdosed and died.
Prosecutors claim Holguin additionally sold 67 fentanyl pills to undercover law enforcement.
This week, Holguin was ordered by a judge to pay $6,103 in restitution to the family of the woman who overdosed.
After completing the 10-year prison sentence, Holguin will be placed on supervised probation for five years.
"This sentence should serve as a warning message to sellers, and as a reminder of the need for compassion and creative solutions in protecting Arizonans from these pills," said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino.
Court records appear to show Holguin has previously been convicted in Maricopa County of aggravated assault.
Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency in 2017, as drug overdose cases continued to rise in the state. According to the Arizona Department of Public Health's Vital Records, opioid deaths increased from 1,359 in 2019 to 1,960 in 2020.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: A un hombre de Phoenix le dictan 10 años de prisión después de vender fentanilo a una madre que sufrió una sobredosis fatal
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