United States Attorney Susan Lehr has announced the sentencing of Rafael Magana, a 31-year-old resident of Omaha, Nebraska. Magana was sentenced on December 13, 2024, in federal court for three drug trafficking offenses involving fentanyl. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., handed down a sentence of 180 months' imprisonment to Magana. Following his release from prison, he will serve a 10-year term of supervised release.
The investigation into Magana began in March 2023 and identified him as a supplier of fentanyl pills in Omaha. A confidential informant conducted four purchases of fentanyl pills after contacting Magana. On July 24, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Magana's residence, where they discovered over 1,000 fentanyl pills and seized $6,680 in cash. Additionally, paperwork for a storage unit was found at the residence. Upon obtaining consent to search the storage unit from Magana, agents uncovered an additional 13,800 fentanyl pills.
Magana faced an enhanced mandatory minimum sentence for the possession charge due to a prior federal conviction in 2015 for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. The $6,680 cash seized will be forfeited to the United States as proceeds from illegal drug trafficking.
The indictment also included charges against two co-defendants alongside Magana for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Zacharie Stinson, another Omaha resident aged 31, pleaded guilty and received a sentence of 57 months in prison this past September. Lucas Ehly, also aged 31 and from Omaha, has pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on December 20, 2024.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the Omaha Metro Drug Task Force.