Hermiston Woman Sentenced to Six Months in Federal Prison for Dealing Fentanyl

PORTLAND, Ore. – Veronica Rivera, 46, of Hermiston, Oregon, was sentenced today to 6 months in federal prison and 3 years’ supervised release for selling fentanyl.

According to court documents, in October 2017, the Tactical Diversion Squad of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team began investigating a drug trafficking organization selling small blue pills pressed to look like 30 milligram oxycodone tablets but that actually contained fentanyl.

On two separate occasions in March 2018, Rivera sold a total of 167 of the fentanyl pills in Hermiston. In April 2018, investigators seized approximately 100 pills from a location where Rivera had hidden them and an additional 129 pills from her Hermiston residence.

On April 25, 2018, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Rivera with distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. She pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl on August 14, 2018.

This case was investigated by the DEA and Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team and prosecuted by William Narus, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.