A Des Moines man, Luca Joseph Roberts, 25, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on November 8, 2024, for distributing fentanyl. The case stemmed from an incident on October 20, 2022, when Roberts provided pills containing fentanyl to a victim who subsequently overdosed and died. Law enforcement identified Roberts as the source of these pills and later conducted additional purchases of fentanyl-laced pills from him.
Following his imprisonment, Roberts will serve a five-year term of supervised release. He has also been ordered to pay $5,796 in restitution. It is important to note that there is no parole available in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentencing. The investigation was carried out by the Des Moines Police Department.
Fentanyl remains a significant concern as it leads drug overdose deaths across the United States. Statistics show that fentanyl-related deaths among youth aged 15 to 24 more than doubled between 2018 and 2022. Counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl often mimic pharmaceutical drugs but contain potentially lethal doses. For further information about this issue, visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website under "One Pill Can Kill."