Two men have received federal prison sentences following a traffic stop last August. Law enforcement recovered suspected fentanyl worth more than $500,000 from the two defendants’ vehicle.
Herminio Pena‑Valdiviezo and Guadalupe Hernandez‑Lungino were pulled over by authorities near the Brigham Road exit on northbound Interstate 15 in Washington County, Utah. Police seized roughly 32 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills.
Pena‑Valdiviezo pleaded guilty to the federal charge of possession and intent to distribute fentanyl in May. District Judge Ann Marie McIff‑Allen sentenced him in July to 30 months in federal prison, with credit for time already served.
Hernandez‑Lungino entered his guilty plea for the same charge in June. He was sentenced last Wednesday at the federal courthouse in St. George to 30 months in federal prison plus five years of supervised release.
A federal grand jury indicted both men one week after their arrest. State level charges against them were later dismissed.
Ahead of sentencing for each defendant, federal prosecutors characterized the pair as “minimal participants” in the crime. Prosecutors listed that standing, plus the men’s acceptance of responsibility and sparse criminal records, as mitigating factors.
McIff‑Allen recommended both men serve their sentences at a federal facility in Arizona to accommodate family visits and immigration proceedings. Upon completing their prison terms, they will be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
Author: Fangqi Zhou
Photo courtesy of Washington City Police Department
Editor: Hannah Clove
news@suunews.net
