SPOKANE, WA – United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice has sentenced David Velasquez Jr., 32, to 200 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Velasquez will also serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.

According to court documents and statements made during the sentencing hearing, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified Velasquez in November 2022 as a primary supplier of illegal drugs in Eastern Washington. Investigators learned that Velasquez had met multiple times in Utah with David Fulmer, transporting fentanyl shipments from Arizona into the region. During these meetings, Velasquez supplied Fulmer with at least 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills per trip. Fulmer was later arrested and sentenced to federal prison on drug trafficking charges.

Velasquez was arrested on October 13, 2023, after the FBI obtained a federal arrest warrant. Authorities located his phone in Iowa, where he was stopped near Dallas County while driving a truck. During the traffic stop, law enforcement recovered 39,095 fentanyl pills concealed in the truck’s tailgate. Additionally, officers found two loaded handguns in the glove compartment and a third under the rear seat.

Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker stated that Velasquez’s trafficking activities contributed to the ongoing fentanyl crisis in Eastern Washington and emphasized the commitment of his office to prosecuting drug traffickers.

Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI’s Seattle field office said Velasquez was responsible for a significant flow of fentanyl into the Spokane area, and removing him from the streets may have prevented numerous overdose deaths.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Patrick J. Cashman.