Pocatello man sentenced for distributing controlled substance resulting in death
U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced a 33-year-old Pocatello man was sentenced Wednesday to 17.5 years in prison for distribution of a controlled substance analogue resulting in death.
Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Michael Simmons to pay $20,071.52 in restitution, as well as serve five years of federal supervised release. The supervised release will be served after Simmons completes his 210-month sentence.
Simmons was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on September 13, 2017.
He plead guilty to the offense on March 20, 2018.
According to court records, on June 17, 2016, Simmons distributed a Schedule I synthetic opioid commonly known as U-47700 to the victim in Pocatello. He admitted he knew U-47700 was a prohibited substance when distributed for human consumption and that he knew it would have the same effect on the central nervous system as an illegal substance. Simmons distributed the analogue for the victim’s consumption. The victim consumed the analogue, which caused his death.
“Our nation is in the midst of an opioid epidemic and Idaho is not immune,” U.S Attorney Davis said. “Attorney General Sessions and the Department of Justice have rightly made combatting the opioid crisis a priority. This case is an outstanding example of local, state, and federal law enforcement’s efforts to diligently investigate and firmly prosecute those who peddle their poisons in Idaho.”
This case was investigated through the cooperation of the Pocatello Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, the Eastern Idaho SAUSA Partnership and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Idaho State Police and the Pocatello Fire Department.
