A prolific dealer of fentanyl and methamphetamine has been sentenced to 30 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Ivan Rodriguez, 32, had been under investigation for years due to his large-scale trafficking of dangerous drugs throughout the region, officials stated in a news release.
Rodriguez was taken into custody on November 2, 2022, after officers followed him from a hotel to a nearby store. A search warrant led police to a large quantity of illegal substances, including:
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147.94 grams of methamphetamine
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112.44 grams of counterfeit Oxycodone (fentanyl)
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1.39 grams of Ketamine
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13.77 grams of counterfeit Xanax
Authorities said he was wearing a shirt that read “drug dealer” at the time of his arrest.
After posting bond on November 8, Rodriguez missed his court appearance on January 17, 2023, was arrested again, and posted bond a second time on May 15.
While out on bond, police witnessed Rodriguez involved in a drug deal linked to a Mexican cartel. He later led Thornton police on a high-speed chase, during which he tossed a backpack. Inside, officers found:
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1.68 kilograms of fentanyl
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2.56 kilograms of methamphetamine
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A firearm
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Nearly $3,000 in cash
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Multiple cell phones
Rodriguez was arrested again on December 10, 2023, and confessed to transporting narcotics in his vehicle. A search uncovered nearly three pounds of meth and 21 grams of fake fentanyl pills, prosecutors said.
He pleaded guilty to multiple charges of drug possession with intent to distribute. In February, he received a 14-year sentence related to the 2023 case. On April 29, he was given an additional 16-year sentence for the earlier crimes. These two sentences will run concurrently, but consecutively to the first, totaling 30 years in prison.
“This defendant was a major source of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine in our community and acted with utter disregard for the lives destroyed by these drugs,” said District Attorney Brian Mason. “Thirty years in prison is an appropriate and necessary consequence for these crimes. The District Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of high-level traffickers like Mr. Rodriguez who profit from addiction and death.”
