EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — In October 2021, Illinois State Police officers found more than a kilogram of fentanyl and heroin pills in a man's car during a traffic stop on Interstate 70.
Officers found pills containing 771 grams of fentanyl and 616 grams of heroin in Jimmy Carrasco's car, according to a written release from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern Illinois District. The traffic stop happened in Madison County.
Prosecutors announced Friday that the 28-year-old man from Glendale, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to the release, a U.S. District judge sentenced Carrasco to 100 months in federal prison. That works out to more than 8 years. After that, he will serve three years of supervised release.
“May this sentence serve as a warning for drug traffickers planning trips through Illinois—law enforcement is waiting for you,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
Carrasco's co-defendant and passenger during the traffic stop, Luciano Gomezllanos-Martinez, pleaded guilty to federal drug possession. The 45-year-old man originally from Mexico also pleaded guilty to illegal reentry charges. He was sentenced to three years and 10 months in January of 2023.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 2,944 people died from an opioid overdose in 2020 in Illinois, a 33% increase from 2019. That year, overdose deaths were more than double the number of homicides.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with help from the Illinois State Police.
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