A Sacramento man on has been sentenced in Placer County for possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl that equate to roughly 20,000 potentially lethal doses of the synthetic opioid, prosecutors said.
Travis Richardson, 34, was ordered Wednesday to serve four years in custody, along with three years of parole, the Placer County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday in a news release.
At the sentencing in Placer Superior Court, Judge Suzanne Kingsbury warned Richardson that he could face a murder charge if he is charged with selling fentanyl or any other drugs laced with fentanyl in the future and that sale resulted in a death.
Prosecutors said the court warning is similar to the advisement given to defendants convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
On June 24, a Lincoln Police Department officer spotted Richardson, who was on probation. When the officer got out of the patrol vehicle to speak to Richardson, he threw several small plastic bags containing a chalk-like substance into nearby bushes, according to the District Attorney's Office.
The plastic bags contained the fentanyl, and Richardson was found with a digital weight scale and over $1,900 in cash, prosecutors said.
Fentanyl can come in pills, powder and vape pens, and 2 milligrams can provide a lethal dose. Fentanyl can shut down breathing, cause cardiac arrest and kill within minutes.
Authorities have said prescription pills such as Xanax, Percocet and Oxycodone purchased from somewhere other than a pharmacy are likely fake and potentially deadly.
