Man gets 20 years for role in fatal overdose at Long Beach rehab, feds say
Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 34, was found guilty of one count of distributing fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury following an eight-day trial in July 2024.
A Montebello man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Tuesday for his role in supplying the drugs that led to the fatal overdose of a man at a Long Beach rehab facility in 2021, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 34, was found guilty of one count of distributing fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury following an eight-day trial in July 2024.
Federal authorities say Gutierrez provided fentanyl to 37-year-old Jayleen Feusier of South Gate on Dec. 9, 2021. Feusier, according to federal authorities, had agreed to sell the drug for $60 to a 34-year-old man staying at a drug treatment facility in Long Beach.
That night, Feusier packaged one gram of the fentanyl Gutierrez gave her and placed it in a small box along with a lighter and other drug paraphernalia, the DOJ said. She then called an Uber to deliver the box to the rehab facility's address, using a black T-shirt to mask the contents inside, they added.
Around 11 p.m., the man staying at the facility jumped the fence and took the package from the vehicle, the DOJ said.
Six hours later, the man's body was found inside the drug treatment facility's living room, according to federal authorities, who said they discovered the drug paraphernalia nearby.
The Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office ruled the man died after overdosing on fentanyl, federal authorities said.
Investigators eventually linked Gutierrez and Feusier to the 34-year-old's death and took them into federal custody, according to federal authorities.
“The distribution of fentanyl is causing incredible devastation to families and communities,” said acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that those who peddle these lethal drugs and fuel this crisis will be held accountable for the destruction they cause.”
Feusier is currently serving an eight-year sentence after pleading guilty in August 2024 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to federal authorities.
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