Man sentenced to years in prison for selling fentanyl that killed Oregon teen

John Ross Ferrara
·1 min read

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 31-year-old man from Medford, Ore. was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison on May 13 after he was convicted of selling fentanyl pills that caused an Oregon teenager to die of a drug overdose in 2021.

The Department of Justice said that John Rocha sold fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet that were ultimately taken by the 17-year-old high school student. The Medford-area teen was found dead from a drug overdose Sept. 7, 2021.

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“The teenager had taken counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl,” the DOJ stated. “Within days, investigators identified Rocha as the victim’s fourth-level drug supplier, and when confronted by law enforcement, he admitted to having recently sold counterfeit pills.”

On Feb. 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford found Rocha guilty of five charges related to fentanyl trafficking, including a gun possession charge. Rocha pleaded guilty to selling the fentanyl pills on Feb. 20

Rocha also received four years of probation as part of his sentencing. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team.

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