WASHINGTON — A 22-year-old Maryland man made his first appearance in court on Wednesday for his alleged role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. Edward Steven Monge faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for his role.
According to police, Monge and Jennifer Echeverria Flores, 26, of Silver Spring, Maryland are both named in an indictment charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Echeverria Flores is additionally charged with unlawful distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
RELATED: As more children die from fentanyl, some prosecutors are charging their parents with murder
Investigators say on five different occasions, between February 17 and July 19, Echeverria Flores sold close to 4,500 pills containing fentanyl to undercover police officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. She allegedly used Monge as the source of her supply. The pills are blue, marked with an "M" on one side, and "30" on the other side. DEA lab testing has reportedly confirmed that the pills contain fentanyl.
On July 31, police arrested Echeverria Flores. She is being held without bond pending trial.
On August 3, officers arrested Monge in Hyattsville, Maryland, pursuant to an outstanding arrest warrant for him in Fairfax County. Officers claim they found more than 1,100 pills on Monge during a search. Police say these pills field tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. Monge was arrested on a federal arrest warrant on Sept. 11.
Police say the conspiracy charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. The distribution charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of five years in prison with a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years. The charges also carry potential fines.
This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Washington Field Division and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
WATCH NEXT:
The lab tests assorted drugs to see if they contain fentanyl, which can be deadly in small amounts.