Fort Lupton Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Oxycodone

DENVER – A Fort Lupton man pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge John L. Kane to distribution and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn, FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Dean Phillips, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Steven Hanson.  The defendant, Ramon Hernandez, IV, age 35, appeared at the court hearing free on bond.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Kane on September 4, 2019.

Hernandez was first charged by complaint on January 24, 2019.  He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on February 5, 2019.  The defendant pled guilty yesterday, June 4, 2019.

According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, defendant Hernandez obtained controlled substances, including oxycodone from a family physician for the past several years.  Since April 2017, Hernandez has been prescribed and has obtained 60 oxymorphone, 150 oxycodone 20-milligram pills, and 300 oxycodone 30-milligram pills per month.

During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the defendant did not consume all of the pills he obtained by prescription, but instead traded pills with another individual and also gave that individual pills to sell on his behalf.   Hernandez sold as many as 150 pills per month for $2,000.  Hernandez received all of the money from the sale of the drugs.

Hernandez faces not more than 20 years in federal prison, although the actual sentence will be determined by Judge Kane.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.