A Hawaiian Gardens resident, Gregory Hevener, 47, received a 25-year federal prison sentence for selling fentanyl disguised as black tar heroin. The drug sale led to the overdose death of an 18-year-old victim. United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi handed down the sentence and ordered Hevener to pay $45,100 in restitution. Hevener has been in custody since February 2022.
Following a seven-day trial, a jury found Hevener guilty on June 24 of distributing fentanyl resulting in death and possessing heroin with intent to distribute.
“While no amount of prison time will restore what was lost to the victim’s family, we hope today’s sentence will bring some closure to the victim’s loved ones and protect our community from further harm,” stated United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Vindicating victims is core to my office’s work. We will continue to lead the nation in holding accountable those who traffic in powerful synthetic drugs, especially when they cause death or bodily harm.”
The incident began in November 2020 when the victim responded to an OfferUp ad posted by Hevener advertising "BLACK TAR ROOFING MATERIALS!!" — a code for black tar heroin — in Long Beach. OfferUp records indicated that Hevener used multiple accounts on the platform for drug distribution.
Hevener met with the victim in Hawaiian Gardens and sold him what was believed to be heroin but was actually a substance containing fentanyl and tramadol. The victim ingested the drugs at home and suffered a fatal overdose.
Law enforcement conducted searches outside Hevener's residence in July and October 2021, finding plastic bags and burnt tin foil with fentanyl and tramadol residue. A December 2021 search yielded approximately 245 grams of black tar heroin, along with other drug paraphernalia.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and El Monte Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kellye Ng, Maria Jhai, and Kyle W. Kahan prosecuted it.