Edward Tellez Solis was sentenced Monday to 100 months in federal prison for selling fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to a Monterey County teen who died of an overdose the next day.
Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila handed down the sentence in the federal courthouse in San Jose.
Tellez Solis, 27, of Marina, was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022, and pleaded guilty in February, 2025. Tellez Solis pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In addition to the prison term, Davila also sentenced Tellez Solis to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay $29,896 in restitution to the family of the overdose victim.
Tellez Solis was immediately remanded into custody after Monday’s hearing. According to the plea agreement and court documents, Tellez Solis used social media applications such as Snapchat and Telegram to advertise, sell and distribute controlled substances such as fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills (known as “M30” pills or “blues”), cocaine, Ecstasy/MDMA, Hydrocodone/Norco tablets, marijuana and Alprazolam/Xanax tablets.
On March 3, 2022, Tellez Solis contacted a 15-year-old minor via Snapchat and offered to sell him 13 M30 pills, knowing that the pills contained fentanyl or some other federally controlled substance. The next day, Tellez Solis delivered at least nine M30 pills to the 15-year-old, who then suffered a fatal overdose, according to the court documents.
During a search of Tellez Solis’s car, law enforcement found a stash of controlled substances, $17,243 in cash, a loaded firearm, three fully loaded magazines, and an additional 89 rounds of ammunition. An additional $98,246 in cash was found in his home.
“While this sentence brings a measure of justice to the community for this crime, it can never undo the pain and devastation the defendant’s reprehensible actions caused the victim’s family,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “We will continue to work closely with our federal and local law enforcement partners to fight the scourge of fentanyl and other illegal narcotics pouring over our border. We owe the victim’s family and the people of the Northern District of California nothing less.”
“Edward Tellez Solis used social media as a superhighway to sell lethal drugs and line his pockets with the proceeds,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “Today’s sentencing marks a crucial step in bringing justice to the victim and a family devastated by the scourge of fentanyl. We will be relentless in our pursuit of unscrupulous drug dealers who distribute poison in our community.”
The prosecution was the result of an investigation by the DEA and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
