FRESNO, Calif. (KERO) — On Monday, April 24, Marcus Randall, 39, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Fresno to conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Randall is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7 and faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
Court documents in the case state that on December 16, 2020, Randall sold fentanyl pills to a person who later took those pills and overdosed, resulting in that person's death.
This case was investigated under the joint auspices of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bakersfield Police Department, the Kern County Probation Department, and the California Highway Patrol.
The case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Operation SOS is a program designed to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in high-impact areas, as well as identify wholesale distribution networks.
