Federal Judge Hands 3-Year Sentence to Cuban Man in Maricopa for Fentanyl Crimes

Dairon Jissan Rodriguez-Escalante, 27, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl. The ruling took place last week at the Sandra Day O’Connor U.S. Courthouse in Phoenix, Arizona.

Judge Angela M. Martinez delivered the sentence to Rodriguez-Escalante, a legal permanent resident originally from Cuba. He pleaded guilty in March to charges that included possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

The investigation commenced in 2021, when Rodriguez-Escalante was identified through social media as a distributor of counterfeit pills, specifically blue M30 tablets containing fentanyl. Undercover agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted operations that confirmed he sold these pills in October and November 2021.

The United States Attorney’s Office stated that upon completing his prison term, Rodriguez-Escalante will be under supervised release for three years. They emphasized the dangers of counterfeit pills amidst an ongoing opioid crisis that has resulted in numerous fatalities across the country.

Fentanyl, significantly more potent than heroin, is frequently concealed in pills that users assume are safer, often leading to accidental overdoses. In a concerning trend, cases of fentanyl in Pinal County have tripled over the past four years, reflecting the growth of the crisis.

The investigation involved collaboration between local law enforcement, including the Peoria Police Department, and the DEA’s St. Louis office. The Mesa Police Department Forensic Laboratory also provided analytical support to the case.