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Beltsville resident Edward Steven Monge, 23, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for participating in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy in which he sold at least 4,500 pills in a scheme involving 26-year-old Silver Spring native Jennifer Echeverria Flores.
According to prosecutors, between February and August last year, Monge sold more than 4,500 pills containing fentanyl to Echeverria Flores, who then sold those pills to an undercover DEA agent on five separate occasions in the DMV region.
The blue pills were marked with an "M" on one side, and "30" on the other, representing actual prescription medication, but in reality they included a total of 479 grams of fentanyl.
Echeverria Flores was arrested in late July last year and Monge was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant out of Fairfax County in early August.
"These pills were designed to look like authentic oxycodone 'M30' pills, but instead contained fentanyl," prosecutors said. "In addition to the pills Monge distributed with Flores, he distributed thousands more fentanyl pills to other re-distributors and clients."
Prosecutors say that a search of Monge led to the seizure of 1,102 pills on him, which tested positive for fentanyl. He was arrested on a federal arrest warrant on Monday, Sept. 11 last year.
Monge also admitted that he possessed a firearm in connection with his unlawful distribution of fentanyl. Echeverria Flores pleaded guilty in December to the drug conspiracy charge
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