A man from Goodyear, Arizona pleaded guilty on May 8 to charges related to a drug trafficking conspiracy that involved shipping fentanyl pills from Arizona to North Carolina.
Sadai Lopez, age 38, admitted guilt to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of a controlled substance. According to court documents, Lopez participated in moving illegal narcotics from Arizona through Ohio for further redistribution in North Carolina between August 2023 and November 2024. Investigators said Lopez used U.S. Postal Service offices around Phoenix to send six parcels containing drugs to an accomplice in Newton Falls, Ohio. Authorities discovered one parcel contained 1.150 kilograms of fentanyl pills inside two vacuum-sealed bags.
Lopez is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 4, 2026. The sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which serves as the law enforcement branch of the United States Postal Service and investigates crimes involving postal services.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin E. Bringman is leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio, which covers forty northern counties and enforces federal criminal laws including those related to national security and public corruption while defending civil suits against the United States and protecting public funds through community engagement according to the official website.
USPIS encourages anyone who suspects mail theft or other crimes involving postal services to call its hotline or visit its website for more information.
