Los Angeles Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Selling Fentanyl That Resulted in Fatal Overdose

MIAMI - A Los Angeles man has been sentenced to life in federal prison for selling fentanyl that caused the death of a Vero Beach man, then continuing to traffic the deadly drug just two days later.

U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence on Alfonso Guerrero, 39, of Los Angeles, after a federal jury convicted him in May 2026 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.

"A tenth of a gram of fentanyl, about the size of a small pinch of salt, was enough to kill David Eller," said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. "This was not a small drug deal. It was a deadly one. Guerrero sold the fentanyl that killed his friend and, just two days later, was caught carrying more fentanyl for distribution. Today's life sentence is the consequence of that deadly conduct and his long record of violence and crime. Together with the DEA and our local law enforcement partners, we will trace fatal doses back to the dealers who sold them and hold those dealers fully accountable."

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Guerrero sold fentanyl in Indian River County. On May 16, 2023, he exchanged 0.1 gram of fentanyl - commonly known as "a point" - for another controlled substance known as "molly." The drug transaction was captured on a doorbell camera. Hours later, David Eller was found dead inside his Vero Beach home. Investigators recovered drug paraphernalia, including a small piece of burnt aluminum foil that the victim used to receive the fentanyl from Guerrero on the victim's front porch, near his body.

Two days later, on May 18, 2023, Guerrero was arrested and found in possession of additional quantities of fentanyl intended for distribution.

Guerrero's extensive criminal history included documented gang membership and prior convictions for attempted robbery with a firearm in California, aggravated assault in Georgia, and cocaine and fentanyl possession offenses in Florida.

U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, Special Agent in Charge Miles Aley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff's Office (IRCSO) made the announcement.

DEA Miami Field Division and IRCSO investigated the case. The investigation illustrates the close coordination between federal and state law enforcement to identify drug dealers responsible for fatal overdoes and bring them to justice.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Reiter and Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McMichael prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link., under case numbers 24-cr-14013.

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