Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Possessing Enough Fentanyl to Kill Millions

NORFOLK, Va. – An Idaho man was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. 

According to court documents, from at least November 2021 through February 2022, Joel A. Duran, 53, transported massive quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine from California to several locations in the United States, including Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, and the Hampton Roads region in Virginia. Over three cross-county trips, Duran possessed 27.9 kilograms of fentanyl— enough to potentially cause the fatal overdose of 14 million people— and 192 kilograms of methamphetamine. 

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Stolle prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-48.