Midland Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Gun Charges
ALPINE – A Midland man pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to possess fentanyl and one count of illegal possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, between August and October 2021, Edgar Parra, 36, sold a total of 112.3 grams of fentanyl to undercover DEA operatives on three separate occasions. On November 11, 2021, the Midland Police Department executed a search warrant on the hotel room Parra was staying. Officers found a loaded handgun along with 3.7 grams of methamphetamine.
According to DEA.gov, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine and can be up to 100 times more potent. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose.
Parra pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and one count of Possessing a Firearm during and in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Parra faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison on the drug charge and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the gun charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Parra has remained in federal custody since January 21, 2022, when he was arrested on federal indictment charges.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and Drug Enforcement Administration's El Paso Division (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Greg Millard made the announcement.
The DEA's Alpine Resident Office, with invaluable assistance from the Midland Police Department, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ellis is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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