An Orlando man has been handed a decade-long federal prison sentence for his role in distributing a potent and often deadly drug. Luis Miguel Plaza, 34, will spend the next ten years behind bars for dealing fentanyl. This synthetic opioid has been a significant contributor to the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States.
U.S. District Judge John Antoon II passed down the sentence after Plaza pled guilty to charges related to the distribution and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida on July 24.
The Drug Enforcement Administration utilized an undercover agent and confidential informants to set up multiple controlled purchases of the drug from Plaza. Throughout the investigation, court documents reveal Plaza sold more than 1,100 pills containing fentanyl and its analog, para-fluoro fentanyl, to an undercover agent and a confidential informant during buys in August 2023 and January 2024. Furthermore, in February of that year, he was found in possession of more than 7,000 pills to distribute.
The successful prosecution of Plaza can be attributed to the vigilant efforts of the DEA and Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
