A Burleson man was sentenced on April 14 to more than 11 years in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Zachary Don Mathis, age 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and received a sentence of 135 months from U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III.
Court records show that Mathis was identified during a March 2022 investigation into the distribution of fentanyl-laced pills in the Eastern District of Texas. Mathis admitted he participated in a conspiracy responsible for distributing at least four kilograms of a mixture containing fentanyl, which he supplied to others for further distribution within the region.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The task force is described as "a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad." The initiative emphasizes investigating crimes involving children and using all available tools against violent criminal aliens.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson prosecuted it.
