Washington State Man Admits Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute

NEWARK, N.J. – A Washington state man pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Jose Luis Pineda Torres, 48, of Monroe, Washington, pleaded guilty before U.S. District William J. Martini in Newark federal court on May 20, 2024, to an information charging him with one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On Feb. 15, 2023, Pineda Torres travelled to a warehouse in Secaucus, New Jersey, where individuals loaded boxes into his vehicle. The boxes contained powder and more than 20,000 pills containing fentanyl and weighing more than 6 kilograms.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. 

The count to which Pineda Torres pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29, 2024.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordann R. Conaboy of the U.S. Attorney’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.