A federal judge sentenced Breanna Daeyshanee Kuyre Garcia to 17½ years in prison Monday for distributing fentanyl-laced cocaine that killed Jessica Filson, 29, and Nicholas Castillo, 30, at their Redlands home in January 2020. U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II imposed 210 months in Los Angeles, more than the terms recommended by prosecutors, the probation office and the defense.
Garcia, 30, admitted in her plea agreement to distributing the cocaine that led to Filson and Castillo's deaths, according to the San Bernardino Sun. Prosecutors recommended 14 years; the U.S. probation office suggested 10 years, and defense attorney Robert Bernstein sought 12. Wright imposed 210 months, the maximum allowed under federal sentencing guidelines.
A Night at a Highland Tavern Unravels
According to court records described in the San Bernardino Sun's reporting, 40-year-old Jason Saha of San Bernardino met Garcia at the Third Street Tavern in Highland on Jan. 21, 2020. Garcia sold him cocaine in the tavern parking lot and later at her residence. Saha then sold some of it to Filson and Castillo at their Michigan Street home in Redlands and shared the remainder with Donald Kelly, 33, and Cannon Farris, 42, both of San Bernardino.
The four men and women died within 48 hours, the paper reported. Filson and Castillo died of acute fentanyl toxicity after ingesting the cocaine; Filson's mother found them unconscious the next day. Kelly and Farris were found dead at an East Pumalo Street apartment in San Bernardino, nearly 24 hours after sharing drugs. Saha found them, according to federal investigative records cited in the coverage. He also overdosed but survived.
Prosecutors Alleged Garcia Tried to Sell More
Prosecutors alleged that Garcia tried to arrange another cocaine sale after learning that her drugs had caused multiple deaths. An FBI affidavit cited a witness who said she set up a sale. Another witness told investigators Garcia became violently ill after testing the cocaine herself and flushed what remained. Garcia was not charged in Kelly and Farris's deaths. Prosecutors said Saha had a separate cocaine supply and acknowledged Garcia's drugs might not have caused those deaths.
Garcia was arrested in Texas in November 2024 and extradited to Los Angeles, where she initially pleaded not guilty. She later told investigators she had fled to Kansas after receiving threats. Saha pleaded guilty in 2024 to two federal drug distribution charges and has not yet been sentenced, according to reporting by Ciaran McEvoy.
A Father's Plea for a Harsher Sentence
Jessica Filson's parents, Steve and Cheri Filson of Highland, urged the court to impose a longer sentence than prosecutors sought. Steve Filson, a retired San Bernardino police sergeant who advocates for families affected by fentanyl poisoning and for fentanyl awareness and education, wrote: “A guilty plea does not restore the lives taken.”
Cheri Filson described finding her daughter and Castillo dead as a lasting nightmare. Their daughter, Elara, was 4 when Cheri had to tell her that her parents would not come home.
Defense Letters Described a Troubled Past
Garcia's defense submitted eight letters discussing her childhood, rehabilitation and relationship with her daughter. Vanessa Cardenas alleged Garcia had been abused in foster care; Rexine Salazar and Jodi Lockhart also described her difficult upbringing and changes they said she had made.
Prosecutors recognized Garcia's rehabilitation but argued that it did not diminish the deaths. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Hannah wrote that Garcia's actions had taken the lives of two young people.
Part of a Wider Reckoning
The case also highlights local efforts to track overdose patterns and respond to opioid emergencies.
Tracking Overdoses and Responding
San Bernardino County says its Opioid Data Analytics and Surveillance for Harm Reduction dashboard provides overdose-rate data and geographic and demographic trends, according to the county. San Bernardino County probation officers began using naloxone through their Narcan program in November 2020, the Victorville Daily Press reported. The medication is designed to reverse or reduce opioid overdose effects.
