A drug supplier in Southern California was sentenced to 20 years Tuesday after the fentanyl he distributed to a woman ultimately led to the fatal overdose of a man in a Long Beach rehab facility in 2021.
Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 34, a.k.a. “Johnny G,” of Montebello was found guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury by a federal jury in July 2024.
Prosecutors determined that on Dec. 9, 2021, co-defendant Jayleen Feusier, 37, of South Gate agreed to get the fentanyl from Gutierrez, her longtime dealer, and give it to the 34-year-old victim who was residing at a Long Beach drug treatment facility in exchange for $60, the Department of Justice stated in a news release.
Prosecutors said Feusier concealed the fentanyl, a lighter and other drug paraphernalia in a package and sent it to the rehab center from Gutierrez’s home via an Uber delivery service.
“At around 11 p.m. that night, the victim jumped a fence and retrieved the package from the Uber vehicle, then went back inside the drug treatment facility. Approximately six hours later, the victim’s body was discovered inside the facility’s living room,” the news release stated.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled that fentanyl was the cause of the victim’s death.
“This case underscores the callous and insatiable greed that fuels drug distributors,” Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Agent Matthew Allen said. “They are indifferent to the stories, vulnerabilities, and the struggles of those tunneling through addiction and recovery.”
Feusier pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced in August 2024 to 100 months in prison.
