Attorney General Kris Mayes has made a substantial announcement regarding the fight against the opioid crisis in Arizona. In a press release that has reverberated across the state, Mayes outlined the details of a recent drug indictment linked to a fentanyl seizure involving 150,000 pills.
The defendant, Jesus Januario Sandoval Leyva, faces serious charges after being apprehended in a collaborative sting operation. The operation brought together efforts from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the Tempe Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The indictment, which was the result of a State Grand Jury's deliberation, handed down three felony counts to Sandoval Leyva. According to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, the charges include conspiracy, illegally conducting an enterprise, and possession of a narcotic drug for sale (fentanyl) in an amount exceeding the statutory threshold. These offenses carry the weight of Class 2 and Class 3 felonies under Arizona Revised Statutes §§ 13-1003, 13-2312(B), and 13-3408(A)(2).
As is the cornerstone of American justice, all defendants, including Sandoval Leyva, are presumed innocent until proven guilty, as per the Arizona Attorney General's Office. Only a conviction by a jury can strip a man of this presumption.
