A Woodland Hills felon was sentenced to seven years in state prison after an investigation into the distribution of fentanyl-laced counterfeit medicines, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
The 26-year-old had already pled guilty to many felony charges, including selling and transporting controlled substances and unauthorized firearm possession.
Ronald Jelaniwarren Joseph was sentenced on May 27, officials stated.
This comes after his guilty plea on January 12 to two felony counts of selling and transporting fentanyl and one felony count of possessing a handgun by a convicted felon.
Joseph also agreed to many special allegations, including involvement in a substantial amount of contraband, carrying a weapon, and committing a prior strike violation.
The Ventura County Fentanyl and Overdose Crimes Units (VC FOCUS) conducted the investigation, which discovered that Joseph advertised illicit fentanyl pills on social media to a well-established customer network in Ventura County.
Joseph, a known gang member from Los Angeles County on active parole, was detained in Newbury Park while attempting to sell narcotics.
A search warrant conducted at his Woodland Hills apartment yielded a firearm and more than 1,000 counterfeit “M-30″ Oxycodone pills, according to authorities.
While officials verified that Joseph utilized social media to market the medications, they did not reveal which channels were used to attract purchasers.
It is also unclear how many Ventura County people purchased pills from Joseph, or whether any specific local overdose occurrences were directly linked to the supply recovered from his organization.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Audry Nafziger, prosecuting the case as a member of VC FOCUS and the Major Crimes Narcotics Unit, highlighted the importance of these law enforcement activities. This case exemplifies the crucial work being done by VC FOCUS and our law enforcement partners to prevent fentanyl from leaving Ventura County,” Nafziger stated. ” Every seizure of these deadly counterfeit pills has the potential to save lives.”
Joseph will be transferred to a California state jail to finish his seven-year sentence.
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