Cleveland Man Charged with Distributing Fentanyl that Led to Death of Three in Northern Ohio

CLEVELAND  – Reyes John Sanchez-Borrero, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio, was charged today in a five-count superseding indictment with distributing fentanyl that led to the death of three people in Northern Ohio.

According to court documents, on May 4, 2022, Sanchez-Borrero sold fentanyl to two individuals in Cleveland.  Both of those individuals then overdosed and died from the fentanyl they obtained from Sanchez-Borrero.

On May 10, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sanchez-Borrero’s residence in Cleveland and recovered firearms and ammunition.  Sanchez-Borrero is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to previous felony convictions of drug trafficking, aggravated robbery, attempted murder, and felonious assault, all in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.

Then on July 18, 2022, Sanchez-Borrero is accused of selling fentanyl to a third individual in Cleveland.  That individual also overdosed and died from the fentanyl they had obtained from Sanchez-Borrero.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This investigation was conducted by the Cleveland Division of Police, with assistance from the Cleveland Division of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Lewis.