Fresno Man Sentenced to Over Seven Years for Opioid Distribution

A Fresno man, Kelo White, has been sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison for his role in an extensive opioid distribution scheme. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez during a press briefing on Monday. Court documents reveal that White, along with his co-defendant Donald Ray Pierre, illegally acquired over 450,000 opioid pills, specifically oxycodone and hydrocodone, between 2014 and 2018 through forged prescriptions.

White was responsible for more than 250,000 of these pills, which were obtained by falsifying prescriptions that appeared to be signed by over ten different doctors. The scheme involved Ifeanyi Vincent Ntukogu, a pharmacist from Madera, who played a crucial role in the operation by scrutinizing each prescription to minimize scrutiny from regulatory authorities. Ntukogu would reject prescriptions that he believed could attract attention, particularly those written by specific doctors or for individuals visiting multiple pharmacies. He received payment in cash for his involvement in the scheme.

The illicit activities of White and Pierre generated significant profits from the sale of these pills. Pierre had previously been sentenced in 2020 to nine years and four months for his involvement in the operation. Ntukogu, who was also implicated in the scheme, received a sentence of seven years and three months in November 2024.

This case was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and their initiative known as Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, which focuses on tackling high-level opioid trafficking operations across the United States. The task force aims to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations contributing to the opioid crisis, which continues to have devastating impacts across communities.

The sentences handed down to White, Pierre, and Ntukogu reflect the serious nature of their crimes and the ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic in the country.