Indian River COunty - Friday February 16, 2024: In Miami Federal Court Juan Carlos Sanchez Echevarria of Indian River County was sentenced to 6 years in federal poison followed by three years of supervised release for drug trafficking.
Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
The sentence was handed down on February 15 after Echevarria pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl. He admitted to selling 55 grams of fentanyl to a person in Fellsmere on April 19 last year.
DEA Miami Field Division and IRCSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. For more information visit https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html# and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl.