SEATTLE — Two men who sold fentanyl-tainted pills known to result in fatal overdoses were sentenced to prison Friday.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, 30-year-old Raoul V. Normandia, Jr. of Federal Way was a prolific drug trafficker.
The investigation began on Apr. 18, 2020, when a Navy sailor was found dead aboard a Navy ship. Two counterfeit pills that were laced with fentanyl were found in his pocket.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) identified former Navy sailor Ivan Armenta, 21, as the person who provided the pills to the victim.
Justice Department officials said Armenta had given the pills to three other sailors as well. Two were sickened and one was revived with Narcan. Armenta was sentenced to 4 years in prison last month.
As investigators searched for the source of the pills, they found that 29-year-old Chase Friedrich of Des Moines, Washington, had supplied the pills to Armenta.
Friedrich was arrested on Apr. 21, 2020. During a search of his apartment, authorities found cocaine, a handgun, and a bag of about 100 counterfeit pills. Friedrich pleaded guilty in May and was sentenced on Friday to 3 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release.
Investigators said they determined that Normandia had supplied the pills to Friedrich. Normandia was found in his car a few blocks from his Federal Way home and arrested. Police said cocaine was found in his car.
During a search of Normandia’s home, authorities said they found cocaine, MDMA, guns, ammunition, body armor, narcotics, and various signs of drug dealing, including scales, baggies, heat sealers, MoneyGram receipts, and 20 cellphones.
Normandia pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession of MDMA and cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced to 66 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by NCIS and the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office as part of the West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team.
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