Kansas woman caught with 115,000 fentanyl pills sentenced to prison

WICHITA, KAN. - A Kansas woman was sentenced to 240 months in prison after being caught with a massive quantity of fentanyl pills that she admitted she intended to sell.

According to court documents, Mana Elena Reyes, 51, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Between April 2023 and May 2023, Reyes had multiple discussions about purchasing and selling methamphetamine and fentanyl with an individual she was unaware was an undercover officer with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office (SGSO). Deputies then followed her as she drove from Kansas to Oklahoma and back. The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) conducted a traffic stop and a search of Reyes' vehicle yielded approximately 115,000 fentanyl pills and more than 4,000 grams of methamphetamine along with heroin, fentanyl powder, and cocaine.

"The United States Sentencing Commission reports that arrests for fentanyl trafficking have steadily increased over the past few years. Upon conviction, the average prison sentence handed down is 74 months, so this defendant will serve more than three times that average," said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. "Our office is extremely pleased with the outcome in this case and will continue to seek stiff penalties for drug trafficking. Illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine, are a scourge and will not be tolerated in our communities."

The Sedwick County Sheriff's Office (SGSO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case with assistance from the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak prosecuted the case.

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