Fentanyl Distributors Charged Following Fourth Fatal Juvenile Overdose

Two distributors who supplied the fentanyl that killed a 15-year-old girl in Carrollton last week have been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

The victim, is the fourth child to die of a fentanyl overdose in the area since September 2022.  

Lizbeth Prieto, 19, also known as Lizbeth Escamilla, and Christian Lopez, 24, were charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Ms. Prieto made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Ramirez on Friday; Mr. Lopez, who is currently in state custody, will have his initial appearance in the coming days.

“Four young lives, lost in an instant. Four families, heartbroken,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Fentanyl continues to creep its insidious way through the teenage population, and no kid is immune. The Justice Department will continue to take traffickers off the streets. But our efforts alone are not enough. As soon as one trafficker is put behind bars, another rises up to take his place. Parents, teachers, and friends: Please, educate your kids on the dangers of counterfeit pills. Unless prescribed by a doctor, no pill is safe. Even tablets that appear to be prescription painkillers or other types of medications may well be laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl.”  

“This is well beyond a ‘Carrollton’ problem.  This is a you and me problem as it affects us all.  This is a problem that we must join all facets of our community to educate, treat, prevent, and enforce the law to help those struggling and hold responsible those who deal drugs to the fullest extent of the law,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas.  “Just one pill can change so many lives forever.  We will never stop seeking justice.”

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim’s family. We continue to work tirelessly to make it difficult for drug dealers to operate in our city by arresting them, and bringing them to justice. We will continue to do all we can to keep this poison out of our city,” said Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo.

According to the complaint, Mr. Lopez supplied fentanyl pills to Ms. Prieto, who provided them to the victim, a 15-year-old student at Newman Smith High School in Carrollton identified in court documents as “J.G.,”

Family members called 911 when they found the J.G. unresponsive, face down on her bed on Tuesday, June 13. She was transported to the hospital and pronounced deceased shortly thereafter.

Knowing the death was likely fentanyl-related, the family gave law enforcement consent to search J.G.’s bedroom and her cell phone. Inside her room, agents found ten counterfeit Percocet pills inscribed M/30, which later tested positive for fentanyl. On her Instagram, they found communications between the girl and Ms. Prieto from approximately 24 hours before the death.

In messages, Ms. Prieto allegedly offered to sell J.G. 13 fentanyl pills for $100 dollars, confirmed she could pay with cash, and asked for her address. A short while later, Ms. Prieto allegedly advised J.G. that she was pulling up to the home to deliver the pills.  An undercover officer immediately reached out to Ms. Prieto and asked to purchase M/30 fentanyl pills.

The next day, Ms. Prieto allegedly arranged to meet the undercover officer. Prior to the transaction, law enforcement observed Ms. Prieto get into Mr. Lopez’s car. She then exited the car, met with the officer, and handed over several pills. In return, the officer gave her marked bills. Shortly after the transaction, she got back into Mr. Lopez’s car.

Law enforcement pulled Mr. Lopez after he departed and found five out of the six marked bills in his possession. He allegedly admitted he had supplied Ms. Prieto with the counterfeit pills she gave the undercover, which tested positive for fentanyl.

Ms. Prieto allegedly admitted that Mr. Lopez was her supplier, and confessed that she sold J.G. a dozen M/30 pills. She said she did know J.G.’s exact age, but knew that she was young.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, they each face up to 20  years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.