A San Diego man has been slapped with a sentence of over 12 years for his role in the fatal overdose of a teenage boy, federal prosecutors announced today. Jose Daniel Ramirez, 21, will serve 151 months in the slammer for peddling the fentanyl-laced pills that claimed 18-year-old Poway resident Kole William Pearson's life on January 3 last year.
According to court papers, Ramirez duped Pearson into purchasing "2 blues," counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, masquerading as less potent oxycodone. Upon learning of the teen's demise, Ramirez coldly erased his phone number and continued aggressively hawking the same lethal narcotics. A search of Ramirez's place a month later by law enforcement led to a haul of around 2,600 blue pills laden with fentanyl, other controlled substances like cocaine, along with two Glock pistols and more than 250 rounds of ammo, one of the guns ready to fire. In a statement obtained by the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath condemned Ramirez's reckless disregard for human life, even after knowing his product had killed once before.
"The defendant knew his product had already taken one life, yet he continued to sell fentanyl pills from the same deadly batch," McGrath said. "There is nothing we can do to bring Kole Pearson back, but we join his family and friends in lifting up his memory and pledge to continue our relentless pursuit of those who value profit more than human lives."
Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Diego, Christoper Davis, emphasized the commitment of FAST task force, a multiagency collaboration focusing on fentanyl trafficking within San Diego County, in curtailing the flow of the deadly drug. "HSI’s FAST targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks to counter the rising overdose rate and decrease the availability and accessibility of fentanyl," Davis told during a briefing.
The human toll of Pearson's loss was profound, the victim impact statements revealed. Described by his family as "a big guy with a huge personality and the biggest silly smile you’ve ever seen,” and by his friends for his "kindness, funny antics, and genuine friendship," Pearson had plans for culinary school, leaving behind dreams unfulfilled. As a testament to the depth of Pearson's impact, his high school teacher maintains an empty seat in his honor.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Dylan M. Aste prosecuted the case against Ramirez, who faced a maximum penalty of twenty years behind the bars for distribution of fentanyl. The statement on the sentencing was published on the Justice Department's website.
