An Alexandria man will spend the next decade in federal prison for the sale of more than 4,000 fentanyl-laced pills.
Alhagi Gassim Conteh, 30, was sentenced yesterday (Tuesday) to 10 years behind bars in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia — the mandatory minimum sentence for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, according to federal law .
Conteh was also sentenced to 10 years for the distribution of fentanyl, but that penalty will run simultaneously with the other, according to court records. He also faces five years of supervised release following his incarceration.
In July, Conteh pled guilty to both charges as part of a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He is required to participate in a drug abuse treatment program during his incarceration, based on the terms of the agreement.
According to federal prosecutors, Conteh obtained the counterfeit pills from a source in Fredericksburg before selling them to a confidential source and others.
An April search of Conteh’s Alexandria residence uncovered roughly 500 fentanyl pills, cocaine, a digital scale and a handheld pill press, prosecutors said. Seven out of 10 seized pills were found to have lethal doses of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber said .