Texas man linked to fentanyl deaths gets 20 years in prison

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A Texas man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy that led to the deaths of two men.

The first death took place in May 2022 in Kermit, Texas. Court records show law enforcement responded to an unattended death of a male at a residence that was later attributed to a fentanyl overdose. An investigation revealed the victim and William Jake Childers, 39, of Midland, had communicated about the sale of counterfeit M-30 Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, the Justice Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

In May 2023, Midland Police Department officers discovered an unconscious male at a residence who died after being transported to a Midland hospital. The death was also confirmed to be from a fentanyl overdose, and investigators again traced the fentanyl pills to Childers, according to the Justice Department.

Childers was arrested during a traffic stop in Ranger, Texas, in October 2023. A search of his vehicle turned up 740 fentanyl-laced M-30 pills and a loaded firearm, the DOJ said.

Childers pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas last Jan. 5 to a charge of conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance.

“This office has again prosecuted a case in which fentanyl traffickers valued quick profits over human lives,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “Sadly, fentanyl continues to plague our communities and claim the lives of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones. My office remains committed to vigorously prosecuting fentanyl traffickers and seeking strong sentences as a deterrent to these criminals.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division investigated the case.

“Unfortunately, the poison these traffickers are selling is killing more and more Americans,” said Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s El Paso Division. “The public needs to know the DEA investigates these drug-related deaths. And if you kill someone by selling them your poison, you will be held responsible for that death.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics reported that 107,543 people died of drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2023 . drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2023—a decrease of 3% from the 111,029 deaths estimated in 2022. A total of 74,702 of those deaths involved synthetic opioids — primarily fentanyl.

Co-defendant Jessi Cortez remains in custody and is awaiting sentencing, the Justice Department said.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Mahoney and Amy Hail prosecuted the case.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BorderReport.