20 Years-to-Life in Federal Prison Looms – Charged with 15-Year-Old’s Fentanyl Overdose
LOS ANGELES – The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is taking a hard stand on the results of the investigation into the death of a 15-year-old who perished on July 8, 2021. A man was arrested by DEA on Monday night for allegedly providing the fatal overdose of a Fentanyl-laced pill.
The minor who suffered the overdose was allegedly supplied the drug by Johnny Castillo (18), of Los Angeles. Castillo was arrested late Monday night on a federal grand jury indictment alleging his part in her death.
Castillo was arrested by the Los Angeles Field Division – who is the 2nd largest division in DEA and responsible for the seven largest counties in Southern California—Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, as well as the states of Nevada (Las Vegas/Reno), and Hawaii (Oahu/Maui), and the U. S. Territories of Guam and Saipan.
The suspect was expected to make his initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday. Castillo was named in a federal indictment filed December 10th that charges him with:
–one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death;
–two counts of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl; and
–one count of possessing a firearm bearing no serial number (commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”) in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
A conviction of the indictment’s alleged drug distribution offense would have Castillo facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence to life imprisonment.
A criminal indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court.
The ongoing investigation in the federal matter is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division and the Glendale Police Department. Prosecutor in this case is Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Fillmore.
