Marcus Ray Chavez, a 30-year-old Bonita resident, has been sentenced to over 21 years of incarceration for his role in a fatal fentanyl overdose that claimed the life of a 15-year-old girl. Chavez's actions included distributing counterfeit pills containing the lethal drug and the exploitation of a minor, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

Detailed court documents reveal Chavez's repeated provision of "M30" pills to the victim between September and November 2022, which were part of a trade for sex. Even with the knowledge that the pills were fake and that the girl was underage, she tragically lost her life to an overdose on November 12, 2022. An act for which Chavez will now serve 262 months behind bars.

The impact of the girl’s death extended beyond the sphere of justice, with family and friends remembering her as a lively spirit, a beacon of potential extinguished well before her time, including aspirations to one day own her hair salon. This narrative of loss is shared via the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, in the words of Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden, who expressed the profound sorrow in the wake of such a preventable loss, stating, "Any loss of life is tragic, the loss of a child is particularly devastating," empathetically reflecting a commitment to justice in the face of irrevocable loss.

Brian Clark, DEA Special Agent in Charge, lamented the harsh reality wherein fentanyl exacerbates the chains of exploitation. He mentioned the sobering consequences that now face Chavez, over 20 years to contemplate the innocent life taken due to his actions, and San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl added his voice to the collective call for accountability.