Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Efrain Rivera Matos, 45, of Tampa, to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl charges. Rivera Matos pleaded guilty on Dec. 8, 2023.

According to court documents, on July 27, 2022, Rivera Matos conspired to ship approximately 560 grams of pressed fentanyl pills to Tampa. On Aug. 31, 2022, Rivera Matos conspired with others to distribute a parcel containing two kilograms of fentanyl powder that was concealed within an air fryer. Co-conspirators distributed fentanyl from a gas station car wash in Tampa, Florida.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Beckman. 

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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