Jesus Angel Reyna, a 36-year-old Anaheim resident, was sentenced on Monday to more than 15 years in federal prison for dealing a dose of fentanyl that killed an unidentified 30-year-old woman in Anaheim.
U.S. District Judge James Selna sentenced Reyna to 189 months behind bars and ordered him to pay $6,948.24 in restitution for funeral expenses to the victim’s parents.
Reyna met with the victim near her home in Anaheim back on Oct. 28, 2022 He sold her several pills that were laced with fentanyl, according to the federal prosecutors.
The woman took the pills two days later and then died, according to the prosecutors.
Reyna had sold drugs to the victim on previous occasions, according to the prosecutors.
Reyna was arrested on Feb. 21, 2023, as he was dealing drugs in a parking lot of his apartment in Anaheim, according to the prosecutors.
A search of Reyna’s apartment resulted in the seizure of 680 grams of methamphetamine, 457 grams of cocaine, 7.30 grams of MDMA and 23 grams of Xanax, according to the prosecutors.
Reyna pleaded guilty last Sept. 2 to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute it and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.
n California, federal prison sentences for fentanyl distribution resulting in death have become increasingly common over the past three years as part of a concentrated law enforcement effort.
Drug dealers in California are facing more prosecution and longer sentences
Between 2023 and early 2026, cases like that of Jesus Angel Reyna—who was sentenced on January 5, 2026, to 189 months (15 years and 9 months)—reflect a steady rise in both prosecutions and sentence lengths for these offenses:
- Charging Frequency: Since 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California (which includes Anaheim) has charged at least 163 defendants in cases where drug sales led to a fatal fentanyl poisoning. In 2025 alone, federal prosecutors filed 20 such cases in this district.
- Sentencing Trends: The average federal sentence for fentanyl trafficking has been climbing, rising from 61 months in 2020 to 74 months in 2024. However, in cases specifically involving a fatal overdose, sentences are significantly higher, averaging 149 months (over 12 years) nationally as of 2025.
- Mandatory Minimums: Under federal law (21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C)), distributing a controlled substance that results in death or serious bodily injury carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. While some defendants like Reyna receive slightly less than 20 years due to plea agreements or specific guideline variances, many others receive 20-year to life terms.
- Notable Recent California Sentences:
- June 2025: A Riverside County man was sentenced to 19 years for a fatal fentanyl sale to a teenager.
- December 2025: A dealer in San Diego received 30 years for selling fentanyl that killed two people.
- January 2024: A dealer was sentenced to 12 years and 9 months for large-scale distribution of counterfeit fentanyl pills.
This surge in “death resulting” prosecutions is driven by specialized units like the DEA Overdose Response Team (formerly the OD Justice Task Force), which investigates fatal poisonings to trace drugs back to their suppliers.