Hoopa Man Sentenced in Federal Court on Charges Related to Fentanyl Distribution

Press release from the Department of Justice:Judges Gavel

Warren Herman Sloan was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for attempting to distribute, and possessing with the intent to distribute, fentanyl on the Hoopa Valley Tribe Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan, and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Susan Illston.

Sloan, 25, formerly of Hoopa Valley in Humboldt County, pleaded guilty to the charges on February 15, 2022. In his plea agreement, Sloan admitted that in early 2021 he engaged in distributing drugs for profit on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. Sloan further admitted that on March 29, 2021, he attempted to meet with his drug supplier to obtain narcotics which he planned to resell for profit on the Hoopa reservation. He acknowledged in the plea agreement that he intended to purchase approximately 120 counterfeit pharmaceutical pills for $1,700. During that meeting, police officers arrived and arrested Sloan. Sloan stated in his plea agreement that he now knows the counterfeit pills he was purchasing contained fentanyl.

In a memorandum filed with the court for Sloan’s sentencing, the government pointed out additional facts relevant to the sentence Sloan should receive. Specifically, the government argued that two young women, one 19 years old and the other 20, tragically died from fentanyl overdoses in Hoopa Valley in the early months of 2021. The government pointed out that in his plea agreement Sloan admitted he was aware that on March 5, 2021 – two weeks before his arrest – the 19 year old woman, whom he knew from the reservation, died from a drug overdose and that he heard the overdose was caused by counterfeit pharmaceutical pills laced with fentanyl. Sloan nevertheless continued to sell – and was one of only a few sellers of – counterfeit pills in Hoopa Valley.

In addition to the 24-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Illston ordered Sloan to serve three years of supervised release following release from federal prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross E. Weingarten prosecuted the case with the assistance of Linda Love. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, DEA, and the Humboldt County Drug Task Force.

One Pill Can Kill: Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is a highly potent opiate that can be diluted with cutting agents to create counterfeit pills that purport to mimic the effects of Oxycodone, Percocet, and other drugs but can typically be obtained at a lower cost than the genuine drugs. However, very small variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl can have huge effects on the potency of the counterfeit pills, and with lethal consequences. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills are commonly shaped and colored to resemble pills that are sold legitimately at pharmacies. For example, counterfeit pills known as M30s mimic Oxycodone, but contain fentanyl. These tablets are round and often light blue in color, though they come in many colors, and have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill.

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13 Comments
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Lou Monadi
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Lou Monadi
1 year ago

2 years for attempted murder/murder? Doesn’t seem right.

Last edited 1 year ago
Country Joe
Member
1 year ago
Reply to  Lou Monadi

There’s little justice in our laws from liberal judges that legislate from the bench.

cranky old lady
Member
1 year ago
Reply to  Lou Monadi

That’s not what he was charged with.

Yeah, I know, I know.

North westCertain license plate out of thousands c
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North westCertain license plate out of thousands c
1 year ago

120 pills for 1700 dollars seems kinda steep for a wholesaler
Has anyone heard how much they cost on the street retail ?
I’m glad they got this guy but the sentence is weak.
Especially with the knowledge that he was killing people !

cranky old lady
Member
1 year ago

Well, a person I know quite well had a dental abscess that was quite painful and couldn’t get in to the Open Door Dental Clinic for a month. So he tried to get some Vicodin or Oxycodone on the street for the pain because the clinic refused to prescribe anything for pain. He was told he could get three tablets of dubious origin for $40. On my advice, he passed on the deal.

Seriously. Blame the rise in opiate deaths on the DEA and doctors who are terrified of losing their DEA license to prescribe. It’s bullshit. People have legitimate pain that needs to be addressed with opiates sometimes. Dental pain is one of the worst and giving someone a script for ten tablets of Norco is reasonable. Especially when you’re not going to fix the damn problem in a reasonable amount of time.

Gavin'sComb
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Gavin'sComb
1 year ago

Wow, and my friend Wade got 36 months for reckless disregard for bookkeeping in the matter of taxes (3 consecutive 1 year hits for misdemeanor charges) Feds

Vet
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Vet
1 year ago
Reply to  Gavin'sComb

Did he plead or go to trial?

Lonny
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Lonny
1 year ago

I know a guy who just got 15 years in the feds for weed. He got caught in Iowa.

Just sayin
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Just sayin
1 year ago
Reply to  Lonny

Note to self: avoid Iowa when traveling with box weight!

Lonny
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Lonny
1 year ago
Reply to  Just sayin

Great advice!

fireradioD
Member
fireradio
1 year ago

I’d like to know what happened to another popped for dealing it that was out of jail the next day, after Feds had tracked him to the Bay Area and back with it…are the charges pending? I hope they didn’t let him out after turning on one of his ‘friends’.

Farce
Guest
Farce
1 year ago

What? I was hoping at least the feds would care but….only 2 years for what should have been a murder charge?! I guess there are basically no penalties for dealing fentanyl and so every criminal now knows they should do it if they aren’t already. Yeah- when there are no real penalties for this behavior then we are basically encouraging that behavior. Odds of getting caught?- very minimal. Penalties if that even happens?- hmm if it’s 2 years federal(out in 1 w/ prison incentives for behavior) for selling the actual pills that kill people in your neighborhood then it must be much less for not killing anybody or getting prosecuted by the county or state, right? How much money did we spend- salaries for judge, bailiff, court recorder, defense, prosecutor, etc etc- for this weak spectacle of very flawed justice?! Why even arrest anybody anymore? What is the “justice” system doing with our money?!! Is anybody else paying attention anymore to this shitshow? Because if laws are not upheld than why pay all these people to fake-enforce them? Can’t we use that money better somewhere else? All serious questions…

Garcia
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Garcia
1 year ago

I feel for the families of the two young girls that lost their lives as a result of his dealing He was directly linked to the sell of the percocet 30’s. Thank goodness that the Hoopa tribe banished him from the reservation for 20 years.