Lamin Sesay, a 28-year-old resident of Alexandria, Virginia, has been sentenced to 110 months in federal prison for his involvement in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy. The operation distributed fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills from Southern California across the United States, including the District of Columbia.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Sesay was among 24 co-defendants arrested in 2023 across several locations including the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles. He pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, to charges related to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. In addition to his prison sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release as ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
Court documents reveal that Sesay became involved after being introduced to Hector David Valdez, a Los Angeles-based drug trafficker distributing fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. This introduction was facilitated by Mathias Tsegaye, a D.C.-based trafficker who died from drug toxicity in January 2023.
Sesay's role involved coordinating shipments of these pills from Valdez to the District of Columbia and redistributing them with local co-conspirators. He also communicated plans for Tsegaye to travel to Los Angeles for additional supplies.
The investigation into this network began following the overdose death of Diamond Lynch in Southeast D.C., leading law enforcement agencies to uncover an extensive trafficking network transporting fentanyl from Mexico through Los Angeles to Washington D.C. Over time, authorities have seized over 450,000 fentanyl pills and other contraband linked to this operation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling high-level drug trafficking networks using collaborative efforts from multiple law enforcement agencies.
The prosecution was carried out by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris McCranie from the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
