Mikiyas Kefyalew, 27, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Deborah L. Boardman to eight years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl that killed a minor in Bethesda, Maryland, in January 2022.
This case is a tragic illustration of the terrible effects fentanyl is having on our community, particularly our young people, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland, Hayes said. Regretfully, no punishment will make up for the terrible loss endured by the family of this little child, who will be affected for the rest of their lives by the defendant’s callous behavior. Our office and law enforcement partners are still fully dedicated to holding fentanyl dealers accountable and to pursuing justice for the victims of the fentanyl scourge.
People are killed by illegal drugs. According to Todd, fentanyl kills people. Many families are destroyed by criminals like Mr. Kefyalew who sell lethal illegal medicines, many of which contain fentanyl. Even worse is the fact that they take advantage of weaker people by tricking them into thinking they are eating something else. Our commitment to looking into and prosecuting the criminals who are causing opioid addiction and deadly poisonings in our community is reflected in today’s guilty plea. In the end, it is our responsibility to keep our residents safe.
Court filings state that Kefyalew killed Victim 1 by willfully and knowingly giving her a mixture and substance that contained a detectable amount of fentanyl and 4-Anilino-N-phenethlpiperdine (despropionyl fentanyl). Fentanyl was provided by Kefyalew as round, blue pills bearing the M 30 mark. This resembles the labels on authentic pills that contain oxycodone hydrochloride and are supplied by a manufacturer.
Kefyalew received a harsher punishment for providing fentanyl to a weaker victim and willfully misrepresented it as another drug. Judge Boardman sentenced Kefyalew to prison and mandated that he pay restitution and forfeit any money he gained from narcotics peddling.
Alongside Acting Special Agent in Charge Shane Todd of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Chief Marc R. Yamada of the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), and Chief Jason West of the Rockville City Police Department (RCPD), Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence.
