Lakota Tehya Wakley, a 21-year-old resident of Clovis, has been sentenced to eight years in prison. U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff delivered the sentence for Wakley’s involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess fentanyl with intent to distribute. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
Court documents reveal that between November 18, 2024, and December 9, 2024, Wakley conspired with others in the distribution of fentanyl. The investigation commenced following the overdose death of a 24-year-old man from Fresno who had consumed fentanyl. Wakley was involved in referring users like the victim to his co-defendant, who sold fentanyl pills and shared profits with Wakley. At sentencing, Judge Sherriff concluded that Wakley was directly responsible for the victim’s death.
The investigation was conducted by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team (FORT), which includes Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Lee and Arin C. Heinz are handling prosecution duties.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an initiative aimed at reducing synthetic opioid supply in critical areas while identifying distribution networks and suppliers both domestically and internationally. The Justice Department launched S.O.S. in July 2018 across ten federal districts including the Eastern District of California.
