A Tucson restaurant owner, Jason Felipe Gutierrez-Sandoval, 29, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. United States District Judge Scott H. Rash handed down the sentence after Gutierrez-Sandoval pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, as well as possession of firearms by a prohibited person.
According to investigators, Gutierrez-Sandoval delivered more than 4,600 fentanyl pills—about 454.4 grams—to another individual on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico in 2023. After his arrest and the execution of a search warrant at his home, authorities found twelve baggies containing a pinkish-colored cocaine variant known as Lavada (weighing approximately 10.35 grams), over $660 in cash, and a safe holding several firearms and ammunition.
Agents also discovered half a kilogram of heroin in the residence. Some firearms were loaded; one magazine was identified as a circular .22 caliber drum with a 70-round capacity that was fully loaded. Gutierrez-Sandoval is legally barred from possessing firearms.
In addition to prison time and supervised release, Gutierrez-Sandoval must pay a $2,500 money judgment—the amount he received during the fentanyl transaction—and forfeit all seized firearms, ammunition, and magazines.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations along with the Tucson Police Department and Pima County Sheriff’s Department through their participation in the Counter Narcotics Alliance High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano for the District of Arizona.
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