Terrill Antwan Ray, a 48-year-old Dallas resident, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after admitting to trafficking over 142,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas.
Ray pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey presided over the sentencing, emphasizing the "staggering" quantity of drugs involved in the case.
Court documents revealed that during a 2019 raid on Ray's apartment, law enforcement seized more than 28,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills, weighing over 12.5 kilograms. Subsequent raids on the homes of two co-conspirators yielded an additional 114,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills, including 105,000 linked to Ray, along with drug paraphernalia, cash exceeding $11,000, and firearms.
Ray admitted to distributing the counterfeit fentanyl pills, which were disguised as hydrocodone and oxycodone. Text messages between Ray and a distributor referenced drug debts and used code words like "school busses," "blues," and "dros" to discuss narcotics.
Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Division, emphasized the agency's commitment to combating illicit fentanyl distribution. He stated, "Mr. Ray is being held accountable for the poison that found its way into our community by his hand and the tens of thousands of pills that could have found their way into our loved ones' hands."
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration's Dallas Division, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office, the Dallas Police Department, DeSoto Police Department, and Cedar Hill Police Department.
