Lorain man sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for having nine grams of carfentanil

A Lorain man was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for having nine grams of carfentanil.

Manuel Latorre, 27, of Lorain, previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of distribution of a controlled substance.

“This defendant had a weapon of mass destruction, just in a different form,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “This amount of carfentanil could have killed thousands of people. Federal law enforcement will continue to work with our partners in Lorain County to bring to justice the people profiting from this drug epidemic.”

Latorre possessed more than 9.3 grams of carfentanil between August and October 2017, according to court documents.

Latorre had approximately 50 prior arrests and 17 convictions as an adult, according to statements made in court.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vasile Katsaros following an investigation by the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force, the FBI and the Lorain Police Department.