A San Diego man who sold the fentanyl that caused another man’s overdose death was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison.
Arnold Ray Walters III, 34, pleaded guilty last year to a federal count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. He had provided a pill containing fentanyl to another man, who in turn gave the pill to the victim.
According to the prosecution’s sentencing papers, the victim, 24, identified in court documents as A.L., was found unresponsive by his father on the morning of Jan. 1, 2017. A.L. was taken to a hospital, but was pronounced dead “within minutes of arrival,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege Walters was aware of the danger because he knew of several other people who had overdosed on fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said the sentence “reflects the tragic and senseless loss of a young life.”
Walters also was sentenced for unlawfully possessing several firearms, including an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The prosecution’s sentencing memo also indicates Walters received a nearly 15-year prison sentence in a separate state court case, in which he pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon.
The memo states that in August 2018, Walters pointed firearms at a man and woman and threatened to kill them, punched the woman in the face several times. Officers arrested him later following a standoff in Pacific Beach.
– City News Service