Dallas Man Convicted of Distributing Fentanyl

A Dallas man was convicted of conspiring with others to distribute fentanyl.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas put out a press release about the conviction on Monday.

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According to the release, 30-year-old Joshua Burton was convicted on June 18 of conspiring with others to distribute fentanyl and personally distributing fentanyl.

Evidence presented at trial revealed that law enforcement seized approximately 17,000 fentanyl pills from Burton in a single week. Authorities said Burton had been distributing fentanyl for about three years.

Burton is set for sentencing on Oct. 7 before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade, who presided over the trial. Burton is facing up to life in federal prison.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Garland Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abby Policastro and Marissa Aulbaugh prosecuted the case.

"This verdict should send a clear message to drug dealers that we will dismantle any effort to peddle deadly fentanyl in our community," said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. "I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedicated collaboration in taking thousands of fentanyl pills off the streets of Dallas."

According to Dallas College, fentanyl poisoning is the leading cause of death for people aged 18-45 in the U.S. The drug is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. And six out of every 10 pills that contain fentanyl can lead to a potentially lethal dose.