A Colorado man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The sentence was handed down on May 27 in Alpine, Texas.
The case involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, the Alpine Police Department, Brewster County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
"Fentanyl dealers trade in death," said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge of HSI El Paso. "This sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and Homeland Security Investigations’ commitment to ensure they face severe consequences."
Court documents revealed that Douglas Christopher Steele, a 54-year-old resident of Denver, engaged in a text message conversation with a man living in Alpine on January 29, 2024. Steele agreed to mail 20 fentanyl pills to the man's work address. He informed the recipient that he had sent the package on February 2, 2024. On February 5, a co-worker received the FedEx delivery.
Further text exchanges between Steele and the man discussed the strength of the fentanyl. Just after midnight on February 6, the man messaged Steele saying he nearly overdosed. Later that morning, he was found unresponsive at his workplace restroom and pronounced dead at a local hospital.
An investigation by HSI and DPS confirmed that envelopes found at the deceased man's residence were mailed from Steele's home in Colorado. The cell phone messages between Steele and the man were also uncovered during this investigation.
Steele was indicted on May 9, 2024, in Pecos, Texas for two counts related to distributing fentanyl and was arrested on May 11 in Denver. He pleaded guilty on November 18, 2024.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum prosecuted the case.
