20 Years In Federal Prison For Elsinore Man Tied To Fentanyl Death

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A Lake Elsinore resident was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl to a 33-year-old man who later died from the drug.

The sentencing of Sergio Maya, also 33, stems from his Feb. 12 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The 20-year sentence is the maximum possible penalty under federal law, according to prosecutors.

On the early morning of May 26, 2022, Maya met the victim — identified in court documents as “C.A.” — near the victim’s Lake Elsinore apartment. Maya "knowingly distributed fentanyl" to him, according to prosecutors.

Later that day, the victim used the narcotic and "suffered a fatal overdose," the prosecutors said.

“The recklessness of this defendant resulted in the victim’s untimely death and his loved ones in mourning,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Today’s 20-year prison sentence sends a message to drug dealers who kill their customers that my office will seek and obtain the stiffest penalties under the law.”

Riverside County District Attorney Michael A. Hestrin, who has vowed to charge fentanyl distributors with murder in cases where users die, thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office for its involvement.

“Our collaboration with the U.S. Attorney's Office on cases incorporating federal statutes often allows for more significant prison sentences for these dangerous criminals. ... I hope this verdict brings some measure of closure and justice to the victim’s family members.”

Maya was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who also ordered him to pay $19,848 in restitution.