Santa Ana man will spend 15 years in prison for selling deadly fentanyl pills

Isai Hernandez Higinio, a 24-year-old Santa Ana man, found out the hard way what can happen when you sell deadly doses of Fentanyl as he was sentenced to federal prison on Monday. Higinio will spend the next 15 years in federal prison after an 18-year-old Tustin woman he sold pills laced with fentanyl died. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 30 to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

The deadly drug deal went down in February of 2021 when Higinio sold oxycodone pills to Adriana Davies. She did not however know that the pills were counterfeit and actually contained fentanyl, according to the federal prosecutors. Davies passed away early on Feb. 5, 2021.

When police investigators served a search warrant on the Higinio’s residence they found 23 counterfeit oxycodone pills that all contained fentanyl.

Davies got hooked on painkillers when she got into a traffic collision about five years ago. She treated her back pain with physical therapy and oxycontin. However after she recovered from her injuries she could not wean herself off the painkillers.

Davies’ mother found her unconscious one morning when she went to wake her up. The family called 911 and administered CPR however the responding paramedics were unable to revive her.

Hernandez has maintained that he did not know that the pills he was selling contained fentanyl. But he admitted in a letter of apology to Davies’ parents that he knew the pills were counterfeit.

Hernandez tried to explain his actions in another letter, to U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, wherein he noted that he came to the U.S. with his family, from Mexico, when he was five years old. Hernandez said his parents were “devout Christians” and “strict” but good providers. He claimed he was an “A” student, but admitted that he began smoking marijuana in the ninth grade. He then began to display rebellious behavior in the 10th and 11th grades,” by his own admission.

Hernandez wrote that met a drug dealer he began smoking marijuana with, who “groomed” him to also sell narcotics for him. Then he found himself enjoying the “high life.” He enjoyed being able to buy expensive clothing, jewelry, cars, fine dining and much more. But when he got in trouble with the law his dealer friend cut off their relationship.

When he started getting in trouble with the law his friend “terminated our relationship,” he wrote.

Hernandez didn’t just sell counterfeit pills. He is also facing charges in state court for the statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl in Irvine. He was also facing felony charges of oral copulation of a person younger than 16, furnishing cannabis to a minor older than 14, selling or producing a controlled substance to a minor and he had to contend with a sentencing enhancement for using a minor for drug transactions.

Federal prosecutors reminded the court that while Hernandez only has one criminal conviction, “his arrest history is extremely troubling and reveals a pattern of predatory behavior, including the sexual assault of young girls, reckless use of drugs and alcohol; reckless driving while under the influence; and lack of respect for law enforcement.”

Hernandez’ parents finally had enough of his shenanigans when he dropped out of school following a breakup with a girlfriend. They kicked him out and he began making a living dealing drugs while also working some legitimate jobs.

Hernandez now says that he looks forward to getting his GED and take college courses while in custody. He even claims that he wants to settle down and become a husband and a father. It is hard to fathom that any woman in her right mind would want to have children with Hernandez…