3 people sentenced in Arizona fentanyl and methamphetamine case

PHOENIX — Three people connected to a Pima County drug trafficking case have been sentenced, prosecutors announced on Thursday.

The suspect with the lengthiest sentence was Francisco Abril, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Abril faces 4.5 years in prison, followed by three years of probation upon his release. He pleaded guilty to one count of solicitation to possess a dangerous drug for sale.

Prosecutors said Abril ran an illegal enterprise to sell methamphetamine and fentanyl pills in the Tucson area.

Not only did he sell the illicit drugs, but he also stored a handgun in the attic crawlspace in one of his children’s bedrooms, prosecutors said.

Prior convictions made it unlawful for him to own a gun.

The two other people sentenced in relation in this case include Gloria Ortiz and David Rivera, his customer.

Ortiz shared two children with Abril and sometimes lived in the home with them, prosecutors said. She pleaded guilty for endangering her children by allowing them to be in a place with access to fentanyl pills. She will be on probation for three years, prosecutors said.

Meanwhile, investigators observed Rivera buying drugs from Abril’s residence.

Rivera later pleaded guilty to attempted possession of 600 fentanyl pills. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon despite being a convicted felon, prosecutors said.

A judge sentenced Rivera to six months in prison followed by three years of probation upon his release.

Attorney General Kris Mayes said she’s happy her office held the three accountable.

“The defendants showed a reckless disregard for the safety of children and the community,” Mayes said in a news release. “My office remains committed to fighting drug trafficking to protect all Arizonans.”