Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Narcotics Conspiracy, PPP and Unemployment Insurance Fraud

Summary

A press release from USAO - District of Columbia published 2025-12-19, "Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Narcotics Conspiracy, PPP and Unemployment Insurance Fraud", case 23cr073. It announces that Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Teron Deandre McNeil, 35, to 120 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The release states, according to court documents, that McNeil bought fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills from a Los Angeles supplier for redistribution in the District. It states that McNeil unlawfully received $11,151 in unemployment insurance funds from California, $33,236 from Maryland and a $20,833 PPP loan. It closes with a table of the other defendants, their charges and sentences.

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WASHINGTON – Teron Deandre McNeil, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 120 months in federal prison for his role in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that smuggled tens of thousands of fentanyl pills from California to the D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
McNeil, aka “Wild Boy,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In addition to the 120-month prison term, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered McNeil to serve five years of supervised release.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The impetus for this investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in Southeast D.C. In addition to investigating and prosecuting the death-resulting case,
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law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of traffickers who transported fentanyl from Mexico to Los Angeles to the District of Columbia. Since then, investigators have seized more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms.
According to court documents, McNeil entered into the conspiracy after he was introduced to a Los Angeles-based drug trafficker, who was a distributor of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. McNeil traveled to Southern California to purchase the fake oxycodone from the L.A. supplier and returned to the District with the drugs. McNeil and his co-conspirators employed two primary methods to transport the pills to the District: they smuggled them in luggage or carry-on items on airline flights, or they shipped the pills utilizing the U.S. Postal Service and commercial mail carriers
On December 7, 2021, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package mailed from Carson, California, addressed to John Turner in Southeast D.C. The parcel contained more than 1,000 blue pills, weighing approximately 122 grams in aggregate. The pills tested positive for fentanyl analogue. Payment records reveal that McNeil sent two payments to the L.A.-based drug trafficker via Apple Pay in the weeks preceding and following the interdiction. Further, call records for McNeil revealed that he called the L.A.-based drug trafficker about 30 times from December 5-8, 2021, including after the package was seized.
When he would successfully transported fentanyl-laced pills back to the District, McNeil redistributed them for profit.
After entering into the narcotics conspiracy, McNeil fraudulently applied for and unlawfully received $11,151 unemployment insurance funds from California and $33,236 in unemployment from Maryland.
McNeil also fraudulently applied for and received a $20,833 forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. His co-conspirators received more than $83,300 in PPP loans.
DEFENDANT
AGE
LOCATION
CHARGES/SENTENCE
Hector David Valdez,
aka “Curl”
28
Santa Fe Springs, California
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Craig Eastman
22
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced on Feb. 6, 2025, to 165 months for conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
Charles Jeffrey Taylor
22
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced July 25, 2025, to 98 months for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raymond Nava, Jr.
21
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced Sep. 17, 2024, to 14 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Ulises Aldaz
29
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Max Alexander Carias Torres
28
Bell Gardens,
California
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering
Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”
35
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Dec. 19, 2025 to 120 months for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and for two counts of wire fraud.
Marvin Anthony Bussie,
aka “Money Marr”
23
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marcus Orlando Brown
30
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Oct. 3, 2024, to 108 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Columbian Thomas, aka "Cruddy Murda”
27
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Oct. 22, 2024, to 160 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden
35
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced April 29, 2024, to 45 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Andre Malik Edmond,
aka “Draco”
24
Temple Hills, Maryland
Sentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Treyveon James Johnson,
aka “Treyski”
21
Alexandria, Virginia
Sentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Karon Olufemi Blalock,
aka “Fat Bags”
31
Alexandria, Virginia
Pleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Ronte Ricardo Greene,
aka “Cardiddy”
30
Washington, D.C.
Pleaded guilty Aug. 25, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”
40
Washington, D.C.
Pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Darius Quincy Hodges,
aka “Brick”
35
Glen Allen, Virginia
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Lamin Sesay,
aka “Rock Star”
29
Alexandria, Virginia
Sentenced to 110 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Paul Alejandro Felix
26
Glendale,
California
Sentenced Nov. 12, 2024, to 164 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Omar Arana,
aka “Frogs”
28
Cudahy,
California
Pleaded guilty May 2, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”
27
San Diego,
California
Pleaded guilty Dec. 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raul Pacheco Ramirez
31
Long Beach,
California
Sentenced Nov.26, 2024, to 95 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Giovani Alejandro Briones
31
Victorville, California
Pleaded guilty Feb. 20, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Alfredo Rodriguez Gonzalez
27
Rosarito, Mexico
Pleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
These prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The investigation had additional support from the DEA’s Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Divisions, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris McCranie of the Violence Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
23cr073
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https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/brother-and-sister-sentenced-drug-conspiracy-involving-fentanyl-sale

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