Mesa man sentenced to 10 years for providing fentanyl in fatal overdose

A 27-year-old Mesa man was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week for selling fentanyl that led to a 2019 fatal overdose, officials announced.

Edgar Giovany Baca-Anaya previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and admitted that it resulted in another person’s death, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

His time in prison will be followed by eight years of supervised release.

More details on the fatal fentanyl overdose the Mesa man was sentenced for

On June 23, 2019, a man was found dead from an apparent drug overdose in his apartment in Mesa. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner later confirmed he died from fentanyl toxicity.

While investigating, authorities discovered that the man had contacted Baca-Anaya on Facebook Messenger and got the fentanyl not long before he overdosed.

Prosecutors explained the man-made opioid is 50 times more potent than heroin and just 2 milligrams is considered a potential fatal dose. Fentanyl is often found in counterfeit pills that are sold on social media or though other illegitimate methods.

Related

Former Valley firefighter sentenced to prison for sexually abusing children for yearsWest Valley man accused of robbing 2 senior women, killing 1 in hit-and-runMan arrested on suspicion of killing his cousin in BuckeyeSAFE Alert issued for missing 65-year-old man last seen in MesaPhoenix area wakes up to rain, lightning, thunder, power outagesNo injuries reported after 3 train cars go off track in Mesa