Downey man federally charged in fentanyl death of 17-year-old girl

DOWNEY, Calif. (CNS) -- A Downey man is in federal custody on charges of selling counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl to a 17-year-old Downey girl who suffered a fatal overdose from the synthetic opioid.

Jonathan Limas-Reyes, 26, was arrested Tuesday afternoon by special agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, federal officials said Friday.

A federal grand jury charged Limas-Reyes in a two-count indictment Aug. 19 that accuses him of distributing fentanyl resulting in death and distributing fentanyl to a person under 21.

Limas-Reyes pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment Wednesday in U.S. District Court, and was ordered detained pending trial Oct. 18.

The indictment alleges that on or about Oct. 29, 2021, Limas-Reyes sold the victim the fentanyl-laced pills, "the use of which resulted in the death and serious bodily injury of victim A.K."

The charge of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life. The charge of distribution of fentanyl to a person under age 21 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and a maximum statutory penalty of life.

The DEA's Los Angeles Field Division is investigating the case, with "substantial assistance" from the Downey Police Department, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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