A Vancouver, Washington, man, Joseph Anthony Cannarozzi, aged 41, received a 10-year prison sentence for serious drug trafficking offenses, including the distribution of fentanyl, coupled with firearms possession. This sentencing was handed down in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, as confirmed by U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The Justice Department has outlined that Cannarozzi's activities involved selling fentanyl pills that were linked to at least one overdose death.

At the sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo reflected on the gravity of the issue, stating, “This case is not about a statistic, it is about an individual who passed away from a mix of substance you sold him for money…. Controlled substances create real devastation and turmoil for real people.” Investigators, after linking the drugs to an overdose victim, continued to track Cannarozzi's operation, which culminated in the seizure of 10,000 fentanyl pills from his residence. The presence of firearms at Cannarozzi's home further complicated his offenses.

Cannarozzi operated a business named “Locked and Loaded,” which distributed anabolic steroids and other substances online, according to the investigation. Through prosecutions led by Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster, financial records revealed Cannarozzi processed over $1 million through his business accounts. With a guilty plea entered on March 6, 2024, Cannarozzi acknowledged his role in possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster, discussing the case's severity, said, “The nation’s ongoing fentanyl-death epidemic would not be possible without suppliers like Cannarozzi. He trafficked in large quantities of deadly fentanyl pills disguised as prescription drugs.” Foerster indicated that Cannarozzi knowingly sold the lethal pills, even after a connection was made to a consumer's death, demonstrating a severe disregard for the potential consequences of his actions.

Collaborative efforts between the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Vancouver Police Department, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), and the United States Postal Service made it possible to hold Cannarozzi accountable for his illicit activities. The sentencing signals an ongoing commitment to combating the proliferation of fentanyl, which has been at the center of a public health crisis, claiming lives and impacting communities across the nation.