United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Deyon Downing, 30, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on December 17, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Downing to 240 months’ imprisonment.
There is no parole in the federal system. After Downing is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.On March 5, 2024, the victim was found unresponsive in an Omaha residence. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s overdose task force investigated the case and was able to track that the fentanyl pills came from co-defendant, Alexis Cuadras Graciano, in California to the co-defendant, Carlos Lopez Montoya, in Grand Island, who sold them to another co-defendant, Ventura Montoya Gonsalez. The fentanyl pills were then sold to co-defendant, Asia Blackburn, in Omaha, who sold them to Deyon Downing.
Downing sold the pills to the victim before the victim died. The victim’s cause of death was acute acetyl fentanyl, fentanyl fluorofentanyl, paroxetine, and quetiapine intoxication. All the parties were in agreement to distribute fentanyl.Asia Blackburn pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 320 months’ imprisonment. Ventura Montoya Gonsalez and Carlos Lopez Montoya have both pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Overdose Task Force.