Edward Steven Monge, 23, from Beltsville, was given a 96-month prison sentence for his part in a plot to sell fentanyl. He sold at least 4,500 pills as part of the plan, which also involved Jennifer Echeverria Flores, 26, from Silver Spring.
Authorities say that between February and August of last year, Monge sold over 4,500 fentanyl pills to Echeverria Flores. Flores then gave those pills to a DEA agent who was working undercover five times in the DMV area.
They thought the blue pills, which had an “M” on one side and a “30” on the other, were real prescription drugs, but they had 479 grams of fentanyl inside them.
Echeverria Flores was caught at the end of July of last year, and Monge was arrested in early August on a warrant out of Fairfax County.
“These pills were designed to look like authentic oxycodone ‘M30’ pills, but instead contained fentanyl,” lawyers 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 when Monge was searched, 1,102 pills that tested positive for fentanyl were found on him. On Monday, September 11, 2016, he was caught because of a federal arrest order.
In connection with his illegal distribution of fentanyl, Monge also stated that he had a gun on him. The drug plot charge against Echeverria Flores was dropped in December.
