LEXINGTON, Ky. - The leader of a drug conspiracy in Versailles, Ky., has been sentenced to federal prison, for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a Woodford County woman.
Chief U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell formally sentenced Luis Aguirre-Jerardo, age 29, of Versailles, Ky., to a term of 28 years. Aguirre-Jerardo had previously admitted that he distributed fentanyl - an extremely powerful opioid that can be as much as 50 times stronger than heroin - to Jolene Bowman, who died as a result of ingesting the drug. He specifically admitted that he distributed counterfeit pills, which were marked to resemble legitimate oxycodone tablets but instead contained the more-potent fentanyl. Aguirre-Jerardo distributed approximately 25 of these counterfeit pills to a co-Defendant, Gill Dewayne Garrett, who sold one to Jolene Bowman, causing her fatal overdose, on July 1, 2015, in Versailles. Garrett also pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 20 years. Aguirre-Jerardo pled guilty in August of 2016.
“This case is a direct result of the launch of our Overdose Prosecution Initiative and has taken both a dangerous drug dealer and his source of supply off our streets, for a very long time," said Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Eastern Kentucky has been devastated by opioid abuse and our office remains committed to its comprehensive approach to fighting the epidemic, including our continued emphasis on pursuing overdose prosecutions under federal law. The great work of our law enforcement partners in this case has helped make our overdose initiative a real success and a strong tool in combatting this scourge on our community."
Under federal law, Aguirre-Jerardo must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for ten years.
Acting United States Attorney Shier; Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration; and Chief James Fugate, Versailles Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Versailles Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Bradbury.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
