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Temple Hills resident Andre Edmond - also known as "Draco" - was sentenced to 130 months in prison for his role in the drug ring that shipped hundreds of thousands of fake Oxycodone pills from Southern California to the East Coast.
Prosecutors say that the pills were shipped from LAX in California to Dulles International Airport in laundry product bottles.
The probe into Edmond and his cohorts was launched in Washington, DC when Diamond Lynch took one pill and the young girl died as a result of acute fentanyl intoxication.
An investigation into the overdose led to the discovery of "a vast network of traffickers who transported fentanyl from Mexico to Los Angeles to the District of Columbia."
More than 450,000 fentanyl pills have been seized, as well as 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and nearly three dozen weapons.
According to court documents, Edmond and his co-conspirators smuggled the pills on flights to the DMV in luggage and personal carry-on items, or by shipping them through the mail using the US mail or commercial carriers.
In one such instance, Edmond sought to purchase 75,000 fentanyl pills at 39 cents per pill, so he flew to California with a minor to complete the deal in January last year.
On his way back, DEA agents conducted a search of a checked bag at Dulles Airport that arrived from LAX under the minor's name.
The bag was checked in the traveling companion’s name and was searched upon arriving at the baggage carousel, officials said.
Packed in the bag were six "Downy Unstopables containers"—all of which were filled with fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, totaling more than 70,000 pills and weighing about 8.2 kilograms.
While agents were searching the bag, Edmond attempted to flee before being taken into custody in the parking lot of the airport.
Prosecutors made note that before being charged in the fentanyl case, Edmond was on pre-trial release in Maryland, and he continued to traffic drugs.
On June 1, 2023, federal officers executed a search warrant at Edmond's home and recovered approximately 1.6 kilograms of fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills, most of which were packed in the laundry products packaged in several baggies.
Edmond pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. A judge also ordered he serve five years of supervised release.
Others to plead guilty or who have been sentenced were from DC, California, and Virginia.
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