Seaside man sentenced to eight years in prison for dealing fentanyl pills that killed one person, injured a minor

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV)-- UPDATE: APRIL 4, 2022 at 4:12 p.m-- Federal prosecutors have sentenced a man for the overdose death of a Carmel Valley man in May of 2020.

Jimenez-Robledo of Seaside will face eight years in prison for selling fentanyl-laced drugs that also injured a minor, according to federal prosecutors.

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A Seaside man accused of dealing fentanyl-laced drugs that led to the overdose death of a Carmel Valley resident and the hospitalization of a minor has pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

The man, Xavier Jimenez-Robledo, changed his plea as part of an agreement.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California released a criminal complaint outlining the charges against Jimenez-Robledo and what led to his arrest.

Seaside man arrested for allegedly dealing fentanyl-laced drugs that killed a man

Minor overdoses in Pacific Grove

The first overdose happened in Pacific Grove on April 16, 2020. Investigators said Pacific Grove police responded to a report of an unresponsive minor, and when they administered NARCAN, they became responsive. Paramedics took the minor to the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula for treatment.

While police were at the scene of the overdose, an officer saw a plastic container with what appeared to be counterfeit Percocet M30 tablets inside, and they appeared to be similar to pills involved in previous overdose cases. A toxicology screening showed that the minor who overdosed had fentanyl in their system, and an analysis of the M30 tablets showed that they also contained fentanyl.

A detective with the Monterey County Probation Office asked the minor's parents if they would be willing to give their child's cell phone to the police to review its contents, and they gave it to the police the same day. The parents also said a few days after the overdose that they asked their child where they got the drugs, and the minor said the tablets were dropped off by a person known as "X" on Snapchat who drove a white four-door Lexus sedan. They said the person's actual name may be "Javi."

Police said they found several Snapchat conversations between the minor and a contact named "X" dating back to March 27 indicating drug sales and money exchange using Cashapp. Through records, police were able to identify the person named as the user of the account as Jimenez-Robledo's girlfriend. They checked his history and found previous drug-related arrests.

Carmel Valley overdose death

On May 5, 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration San Francisco Field Division received a call about a person who overdosed earlier in the day and was unresponsive at CHOMP. A toxicology screening showed that the person had fentanyl in their system, and the person later died on May 9.

The person who called the DEA said she saw money transfers in the person's phone to someone named "Jennifer." Agents met with the caller at her home in Carmel Valley and took what appeared to be counterfeit M30 and foil with drug residue that had been found in the person's bedroom on the day of the overdose. An analysis showed the presence of fentanyl.

Investigators were able to get and analyze the person's phone and in Snapchat found an account using the name "X." They said the conversation did not open, which could mean that the account had recently blocked or deleted the person who overdosed after the user learned of the overdose.

An agent also found a screenshot from Cashapp showing money sent to the suspected girlfriend of Jimenez-Robledo.

Investigation

Through an investigation into the Snapchat account, agents learned that it was associated with an email address beginning with "Xavierjim10," which is similar to the suspect's name.

Investigators also spoke to a witness who reported seeing two people at a drug rehabilitation center, the Pacific Grove Beacon House, who pulled up in a white four-door Lexus sedan. It was reportedly driven by a young woman with dark hair, and the passenger was a Hispanic man with short hair. The witness said they saw the man get out of the vehicle and throw something toward the Beacon House. The witness later heard that a person went to get the object, and police found exchanges with the same Cashapp account on the person's phone.

While conducting surveillance at Jimenez-Robledo's house, investigators said they saw multiple vehicles stop at the home for short periods of time, and in one case, they said they saw an exchange of money and a small plastic bag.

Charges and sentencing

Jimenez-Robledo is charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release, a $1 million fine and more. His sentencing is scheduled for September.

Read the redacted criminal complaint below.