Two Defendants Sentenced to 15 Years in 15-Year-Old’s Fentanyl Overdose Death

The pair that supplied fentanyl pills to a 15-year-old Carrollton girl who fatally overdosed have been sentenced to a combined 15 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Lizbeth Prieto, 19, also known as Lizbeth Escamilla, and Cristian Lopez, 24, were charged via criminal complaint in June 2023 and indicted the following month. Ms. Prieto pleaded guilty in November 2023 to distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 21 and was sentenced in April 2024 to 84 months in federal prison. Mr. Lopez pleaded guilty in July 2024 to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced Monday to 96 months in federal prison.

“Fentanyl rips through communities and decimates families. And with so many traffickers wantonly pushing these pills, all of our teenagers are vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.  “I launched the Protect Our Children Project – aimed at using law enforcement resources to help schools prevent fentanyl overdoses and other tragedies – in honor of children like this victim, lost to drugs or guns in our schools. It is my fervent hope that we can drastically reduce fentanyl fatalities in North Texas. Removing traffickers from the streets is another step towards that goal.”

“Selling poison in the form of fentanyl to our youth is one of the most treacherous and evil ways to hurt our community,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division.  “To all of those who still continue to traffic fentanyl pills: DEA Dallas and our law enforcement partners such as Carrollton PD will find you and hold you accountable for your selfish actions.  The safety of our families and community depends on it.”

According to court documents, 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.

Inside the child’s bedroom 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. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phelesa Guy and Rick Calvert prosecuted 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 five out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.