Another member of the gang that peddled fatal doses of fentanyl to students in the Carrollton Farmers-Branch school system has pleaded guilty.
Reports say 22-year-old Jason Xavier Villanueva could face 40 years in federal prison with no parole for taking part in the seven person drug-ring that has tormented Carrollton.
Police say at least twelve Carrollton high school students between the ages of 13 and 17 have been poisoned by counterfiet painkiller pills, three have died. The pills were laced with fentanyl and prosecutors say Villanueva was one of the top suppliers.
Federal prosecutors say Villanueva used social media account on Instagram and Snap Chat to contact students who acted as his dealers. Today Villanueva pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
A US District Court judge has to accept the terms of the plea. Another member of the gang has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
“Fentanyl is killing our kids. We are angry about it. We are heartbroken about it. And we are determined to do all we can about it,” U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton said at a press conference. “Make no mistake: Unless it comes from a licensed medical provider, that pill your child thinks is Percocet, or OxyContin, or Xanax, or Adderall, may actually be fentanyl. And if it is fentanyl, chances are, even a small part of one pill may be deadly.”
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