Girlfriend of California Source of Fentanyl Conspiracy Sentenced to 9 Years

ABINGDON, Va. – A California woman, who helped her boyfriend ship thousands of pressed fentanyl pills to members of a Southwest Virginia drug dealing conspiracy, was sentenced yesterday to nine years in federal prison.

Destiny Raeann Perez, 23, of Turlock, California, pleaded guilty in January 2023 to conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to court documents, during the conspiracy, Perez was based in California and assisted her boyfriend, Alexander Ortiz, with the packaging of thousands of pressed fentanyl pills for distribution. Perez organized pill orders and mailed drug parcels from California to customers located throughout the United States, including to drug dealers Paul Perkins and Aaron Stidham in Southwest Virginia.

Ortiz and Perez estimated they made over $500,000 selling pressed fentanyl pills via social media.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Atlanta Division, made the announcement.

The Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force (consisting of the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, and the Virginia State Police), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.