YAKIMA, WA – A Pasco resident has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and attempting to assault a police officer during a 2022 incident.
On March 27, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced that 32-year-old Jose Martinez was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian to 125 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the Richland Police Department responded to a disturbance involving Martinez on May 20, 2022. Officers instructed him to leave the area, but he refused and attempted to assault one of them. A pat-down search revealed that Martinez was carrying a 9mm handgun, despite being legally prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior domestic violence conviction.
Further investigation of Martinez’s vehicle, a dark blue BMW, uncovered another handgun, 10,179 fentanyl pills, $72,354 in cash, a small quantity of methamphetamine, and multiple cell phones.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker said domestic violence remains a significant source of firearm-related crime in Eastern Washington, including violence against law enforcement officers. He also emphasized the danger posed by offenders trafficking large amounts of fentanyl.
Martinez’s arrest and sentencing were the result of an investigation and coordinated effort by law enforcement to reduce the distribution of dangerous narcotics in the region.
