Lake Charles resident Walter Wellington Somers, 41, has been sentenced to a five-year prison term for his involvement in a scheme to distribute a substantial quantity of counterfeit fentanyl pills, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. Following his incarceration, Somers will also be subjected to four years of supervised release.
On April 2, 2024, Somers entered a guilty plea, admitting his role in the conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison mandated the sentence, detailing an elaborate plan where Somers traveled with the intent to sell the fraudulent pills for profit. According to a statement made by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Somers has a history of prior convictions and encounters with law enforcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has lauded the sentencing as a victory for public safety, considering that even two milligrams of fentanyl can pose a lethal risk. "DEA’s diligent investigative efforts helped save countless lives," said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the Houston Division in a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office. The investigation led to the discovery of over 2,000 fake fentanyl tablets that could have significantly impacted the Laredo community. Kimbell also reaffirmed the DEA's dedication to eliminating these dangerous narcotics, and to prosecuting individuals like Somers who threaten community health and safety.
The saga unfolded on December 23, 2023, when Laredo hotel staff investigating a damaged television stumbled upon what they believed to be narcotics in one of their rooms. Upon the arrival of law enforcement, they found Somers trying to re-enter the hotel room he had vacated earlier that day. He claimed his return was merely to settle payments for the broken TV. Inside the room, authorities uncovered a stash of blue pills, each marked with an "M-30" imprint symbolizing their counterfeit nature. Further investigation, including laboratory analysis and phone messages, uncovered a connection to a narcotics source in Sinaloa, Mexico, and plans for even more illicit transactions.
Somers is currently held in custody and awaits transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility which has yet to be determined. The successful conclusion of this case results from a collaborative operation involving the DEA and Laredo Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Chamberlin and Brittany Jensen leading the prosecution. This case also forms part of the broader Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, aimed at dismantling high-level criminal syndicates that pose a threat to national security and community well-being. For more insight into the hazards of fentanyl, the DEA's website provides detailed information and resources regarding opioid dangers under the campaign #OnePillCanKill.
