Tampa Man Sentenced To More Than 12 Years In Federal Prison For Conspiracy To Distribute Heroin And Fentanyl

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Steven Echevarria (35, Tampa) to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.

Echevarria had pleaded guilty on March 18, 2021.

According to court documents, between January 1, 2016, and September 1, 2020, Echevarria conspired with others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Middle District of Florida. The conspiracy involved at least one kilogram of heroin. Echevarria obtained heroin from a source in the Orlando area and provided it to co-conspirators to distribute in Hillsborough County. Echevarria was arrested on other charges and incarcerated during the conspiracy. While Echevarria was in custody, a co-conspirator took over his role in the conspiracy and obtained heroin and fentanyl from the source in the Orlando area. After Echevarria was released from jail in July 2020, he resumed working with his co-conspirators and distributed heroin and fentanyl to a confidential source.

The investigation in this case is the result of a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.