Medford, Oregon– John Rocha, a 31-year-old man from Medford, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release for his role in distributing fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of a local teenager. The sentencing was delivered on Monday as part of a federal indictment related to narcotics distribution.
According to court documents, the case stems from a tragic incident on September 7, 2021, when Medford Police responded to an overdose fatality involving a 17-year-old high school student. Investigation revealed that the teenager had ingested counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl. Subsequent inquiries by law enforcement identified Rocha as the fourth-level supplier in the victim’s drug supply chain. When questioned by authorities, Rocha admitted to recently selling counterfeit pills.
Rocha was indicted on February 3, 2022, by a federal grand jury in Medford. The indictment, comprising five counts, charged Rocha and four others with offenses including distributing fentanyl, possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm connected to drug trafficking.
The investigation was led by the FBI and the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE), a multi-jurisdictional task force dedicated to dismantling drug trafficking organizations. Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, prosecuted the case.
MADGE operates with support from the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), a program sponsored by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to facilitate coordinated, multi-agency efforts against drug-related crime. MADGE’s collaboration involves members from the Medford Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices, Jackson County Community Corrections, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Source: Oregon DOJ
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