United States Drug Enforcement Administration

YAKIMA, Wash. – Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Leonardo Daniel Martinez, age 32, of Pasco, Washington to 125 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl. Chief Judge Bastian also imposed 5 years of supervised release.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on May 20, 2022, Richland Police Department (RPD) officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a house involving Martinez. Officers told Martinez to leave, but he refused and attempted to assault an officer. Officers took Martinez into custody, and during the arrest pat down, found a 9mm handgun on Martinez’s person.  At the time he possessed the handgun, Martinez was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his criminal history, which included a domestic violence conviction.

Inside of Martinez’s dark blue BMW, RPD located an additional handgun, 10,179 fentanyl pills, $72,354 in cash, a small quantity of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and three cell phones.

“Mr. Martinez disregarded the safety of those around him by engaging in domestic violence, attempting to assault a police officer, carrying a handgun, and possessing enough fentanyl to potentially kill almost 6,000 people,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Our community is safer with Mr. Martinez behind bars, and I am gratified that the Drug Enforcement Administration could help the Richland Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office make that happen.”

“Domestic violence is a significant source of firearm-related crime in Eastern Washington and in the Tri-Cities area. Domestic violence offenders are far more likely to engage in intimate partner violence as well as violence directed at law enforcement officers responding to emergency calls,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “This danger is further exasperated when offenders, like Mr. Martinez, possess large quantities of dangerous narcotics. I am grateful for the dedication of the DEA and Richland Police Department for their diligent work in removing large volumes of dangerous fentanyl from our communities.”   

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richland Police Department. 

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